


Pathways

by SummahWriter



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble Collection, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Growing Up, Romance, Skywalker Family Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-09-01 11:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 22,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20257651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummahWriter/pseuds/SummahWriter
Summary: Poe's little shoulders slumped and tears filled his deep brown eyes. "Papa. I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you upset!"Kes wiped his boy's tears away. "I know." But you're reckless and fearless and just like your mother...Series of one-shots and drabbles set in my Star Wars AU. Just a fair warning, they will not be in chronological order.





	1. Poe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Leia meet for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some drabbles and one-shots set in my little Star Wars AU.

_ **Hoth, 2 ABY** _

There was very little to celebrate these days. 

So, when C-3PO shuffled into the command center with his latest announcement, Leia Organa allowed herself a small smile. She thanked the golden protocol droid and decided that she needed a break from the strategic planning and debriefings for a few moments. 

Leia wound her way through the icy halls of the Rebellion base. Hoth had been their “home” for the last two years, ever since the Empire had discovered their last one on Yavin IV. The ice world had been picked because it was probably the last place the Empire believed the rebels would have fled too. The outside conditions were dangerous, if one was out in the elements for too long, they would die from exposure. This wasn’t the ideal place to live; it certainly wasn’t the ideal place to bring a new baby into the galaxy. 

The doctors and nurses stepped aside when Leia entered the medbay. She might be small, but she carried a large air of authority when she entered a room. Leia took a deep breath and smiled at the group, “I’m here to see Lieutenant Bey. I assume that everything went well with her labor and delivery?”

“Yes, Princess,” the doctor replied. “Lieutenant Bey is resting and I’m happy to report that both mother and baby are doing well.”

“Good work, doctor,” Leia said, inching closer to where she could see Shara Bey resting, a tiny bundle in her arms.

“Princess,” the doctor called, stopping her. “I’m afraid that the conditions on Hoth are not ideal for an infant that small. I have him wrapped in the warmest blankets I could find…”

_It’s not just the elements that make this a dangerous place to live, _Leia thought as she nodded in agreement with the doctor. She stepped into Shara’s room, noticing that the other woman was half asleep, while the baby snuggled close to her chest. In the corner, Kes Dameron dozed, but immediately snapped to attention when he saw Leia. She held a hand up to stop him from jumping up and saluting her. “Don’t bother, Sergeant Dameron, I know you must be exhausted. I just wanted to come welcome the little guy to the base.” 

Kes heaved a large sigh of relief and slumped back in his chair. “Exhaustion is a good way to put it, Princess.”

Leia smiled and went to the other side of the bed. The baby’s big brown eyes peered up at her underneath a crop of wavy, dark curls, and she reached a finger out to stroke his cheek. His little face pulled into a reactionary smile, but she felt her heart warm at the sight. 

“Would you like to hold him?” Shara asked, sleepily.

“Are you…are you sure?” Leia asked back, uncertainly.

“Yes. My arms are falling asleep,” the pilot teased. She shifted and eased her baby into Leia’s arms.

He whimpered a little, stretching his tiny body, and then he settled, snuggled against Leia’s best and heaved a sigh.

Leia smiled at how natural and comfortable it felt to hold a baby. Maybe someday, when this whole conflict was over, she would have children of her own. For now, she was content to hold the babies of her friends. “What’s his name?”

Shara returned her smile, love and affectionate in her eyes for her newborn. “Poe. We called him Poe.”

Peeking out from underneath the blanket, was a soft, sweet, face. “Poe,” Leia repeated softly at him. His brown eyes blinked open, looking at her, filled with curiosity. She continued to smile at the tiny little baby in her arms. "Welcome to the Rebellion."


	2. Doing This For Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kes and Shara say goodbye to Poe.

“Kes,” Shara said, sadly, clutching her three-month-old son to her, “we’re doing this for _him.” _

“Of course we’re doing this for him,” Kes argued, “but that doesn’t make it easier to leave him with your father.”

She knew that it didn’t make it easier, but it had to be done. Poe could not stay on the base; Shara and Kes still had a war to fight, a galaxy to free from the tyranny that was the Empire. She planted a kiss on her son’s soft head of hair. Poe sighed and smiled at his mother, unaware of the inner turmoil that his parents were in. “He can’t stay with us, on the base. I need to know that he’s safe when I go up in that fighter again; I need to know that even if I don’t survive this war, that my baby will be taken care of.”

He moved towards her, his large frame crowding into in her space. Kes grabbed his wife by the shoulders. “Hey,” he said, shaking her a little, but not so rough to jostle Poe. “Stop talking like that, we’re coming back. _Both _of us.”

"You don't know that," Shara cried, tears running down her cheeks. "What if we leave him alone? With no one?"

"He will not be alone; he already isn't alone," Kes replied, pulling her and the baby close to his chest. "Shara, we have to go. The transport cannot wait for us forever."

Shara sniffled and pressed her lips to Poe's forehead. He smiled at his mother and cooed. Crying she handed her baby boy to her father and with Kes' arm around her, walked away, towards the transport that would bring them back to the Rebellion; back to the war.

Kes pulled her into his arms once they were onboard; they were doing this for Poe, so their son could live in peace, free from the fear, free from the Empire. He kissed his wife. "We're coming back," he assured her once again, "both of us. We _will _see our son again." 


	3. I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First look at my OC Sela. Takes place right after Empire. Thank you so much for the support thus far! It means a lot to me.

_ **EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, 3 ABY** _

Sela had not seen him since the evacuation of Echo Base. While Rogue Squadron had been in charge of defending the base from the Empire’s AT-AT’s, Sela had been assigned to escort a transport to the rendezvous point. In the waning hours since, no one had heard from Luke, Leia or Han, and the word had finally come—at first there was elation that ran through the Rebellion, until Leia’s message hit them in the face like a punch. _Han Solo was a prisoner of Jabba the Hutt, Luke was injured trying to save them from Lord Vader…_

It felt like the floor had fallen out from underneath her. Sela considered the Rebellion her family; she had walked away from her biological one, never looking back. _Han a prisoner, Luke hurt… _she kept repeating that over and over in head again and again, trying to hold herself together. She did pretty well—until she saw Luke.

Luke did his best to hide his pain behind a goofy grin, but Sela could see through him. She could see his pain, both physical and emotional. He was alive, that’s all that matters, we can get through this, she thought, before throwing her arms around his neck, feeling him hold her, pull her close. “Sela… I love you,” he whispered in her ear. 

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes. It was the first time he had said it; she’d felt it of course, but nothing compared to hearing the words. Sela gripped him tighter. “I love you too, Luke.”

Hearing those words, Luke knew that everything was going to be okay. He was going to make it through the revelation that Darth Vader had once been Anakin Skywalker, his father; he was going to make it through Han's capture. As long as he had Sela and the rest of his friends by his side they could make it through anything. "Sela," he said, softly, "there's more that I need to tell you... it's just not the right time."

"It's okay, Luke," Sela replied, pressing her cheek against his chest, "let's focus on getting Han back first."

"One thing at time," Luke murmured, "sounds like the best plan we've got at the moment."

Sela closed her eyes. There had been lots of times that she had felt hopeless throughout this war, but she couldn't recall feeling any lower than she did in that moment. All those nights the two of them had stayed up, talking about their future once this was over, seemed to far out of reach now.

Luke kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, love. Everything is going to be fine. I can feel it," he assured her, because he was always filled with hope no matter how dire the situation.


	4. Be Both

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia finds out she is pregnant and is conflicted.

_ **Rebellion Medical Frigate, 4 ABY** _

She found out she was pregnant two months after the Battle of Endor. All that alcohol, all that celebrating, had led Leia to very bad decisions.

Despite their victory at Endor, the Empire still remained. They still had a war to fight and finish. Could she knowingly bring a child into the galaxy, walk away from the Rebellion to raise that child? Leia sat, alone, in a medical bay, contemplating. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, until she heard movement and glanced up. Standing in the door way to her examination room was Sela, on hand resting on her slightly enlarged stomach. 

Sela looked surprised to see her, after all, this section of the medical bay was reserved for expecting mothers and babies. For a moment, the two women gazed at one another and Leia laughed, harshly, wiping at the tears in her eyes. _How could I be so dumb? Of course Sela would be here! _The Alliance doctors and medical droids had marked Sela's pregnancy as high risk because of her involvement with Green Squadron, several times they had chided her for flying dangerous missions; even Luke had gotten angry at her for flying in the Battle of Endor. For all the jostling around in the cockpit the Skywalkers' baby had endured, so far, the child was healthy. 

"You're back," Leia stated, turning her face away. "I had no idea."

"We arrived late last night," Sela replied, referring to the expedition she had gone on with Luke. "They wanted to make sure the baby was okay."

"And?"

"He's fine."

Leia still didn't make eye contact with her. "That's... that's good. I know that Luke is worried."

Sela smiled, softly. "Worried? He's paranoid. I think he believes that the baby and I are made out of glass."

Movement, a flash of green fabric, caught Leia's attention. She watched as Sela sat down on the examination table with her, holding her stomach as she pulled her body into a sitting position. Leia frowned at her, slightly. "How do you think Shara does it?"

There was quiet for a second, while Sela pondered what Leia was asking her. She wasn't exactly sure what the Princess was hinting at, but she had an idea that it had to do with Shara's two-year-old son, so she repeated, "How does Shara do what?"

"Being so far from Poe, how does she do it? Knowing that she might not come home..."

"She hates it. She's always afraid but she knows she has a job to do."

"Have you thought about what you're going to do, once the baby arrives?"

"I still have five months to think about it."

Leia envied her for the freedom she had; Sela could walk away from the Rebellion guilt free. She had done her job; she could find a nice little planet to settle down with Luke and they could raise their son together. Leia on the other hand, she could not walk away from the Rebellion guilt free, she could not find a nice place to settle down with Han and raise their child...

...Sela offered her a small smile and took her hand. "By then, the war will be over. Our job will be done and the galaxy will be free."

_My job will never be done, _Leia thought. _I will always be fighting for freedom, maintaining that freedom. _

"You know, when I first found about my baby, I was scared, too."

"How did you know I was..."

"Because there have been a lot of women just sitting here in the last few months... you know, in nine months there will be lots of victory babies running around."

Leia was selfish to think that she and Han were the only ones that got a little carried away the night of the celebration. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Pulling herself off the cot, she realized that even though she had personal demons to figure out, she also had a Republic to restore. 

Sela sighed and stood as well. When they had told Han and Leia that they were having a baby, they had gotten two very different reactions. Han was excited for them, Leia was happy, but reserved, she had wondered how this was going to effect their efforts on Endor. The Rebellion always came first for Leia, Sela hoped that would not apply to her child, but the Princess' angst ridden reaction to being pregnant had Sela second guessing. "Leia, you can be both a mother and a leader; you don't have to pick and choose."

"I understand," Leia replied, "but I should be able to put my child first, not have to worry about leading a new government, ending a war."

"Then step away," Sela argued. "No one is saying it has to be you."

"Darth Vader was my father; I owe it to the galaxy," the Princess snapped. She straightened her small form and glared at her sister-in-law. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." 


	5. Worrying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Han talk about impending fatherhood. Companion piece to "Be Both".

"Leia's pregnant," Han Solo announced, casually.

"I know," Luke responded, reserved. His wife had informed him that his sister had been less than thrilled about the pregnancy.

Han sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Leia isn't happy. Guess I don't blame her; a baby was not a part of the plan. At least not right now. It's only been two months since Endor. Damn it, Luke, I feel like I missed so much during all that time I was in carboniate. You and Sela got married for crying out loud!"

Luke simply nodded. He understood his friend's frustration. "To be fair, Sela and I getting married was a last minute thing. Honestly, things were not looking good for the Alliance at the time and we just... wanted _one _good memory if we were going to die fighting the Empire. The baby was a bit of an unexpected surprise. I'm sad that my father didn't know about him."

"You wouldn't be if Vader was still alive and plotting to snatch that kid from you to raise as his own as some kind of dark side heir," Han snapped.

"Valid point," Luke countered with a kind smile. 

Han sat down next to the kid and again sighed, heavily. "Are you scared?"

Luke glanced at him. "About what?"

"Becoming a dad."

"A little, I suppose."

"You'll probably be better at it than I'll be."

"Don't say that, Han; you're going to make a great father."

_Oh Luke, ever the idealist, _Han thought with a sad smile. Even after everything his young friend had been through, Luke had maintained his idealism. When he'd offered to transport Luke and Ben Kenobi off of Tatooine all those years ago it felt like now, Han never imagined the two of them would be sitting here. The kid had a lot of growing up to do back then, and maybe in retrospect, so didn't Han. "What scares you the most?" he asked, honestly.

Blue eyes went wide at the thought and Luke laughed, anxiously. "That my father's dark tendencies can be passed down; that my son could fall one day and I'll be powerless to stop it. My sister has every right to be apprehensive about the dark side being hereditary. I've found very little research on genetics and force sensitivity, you know, what is really passed down from generation to generation."

Han clenched his fists. He'd had a recurring argument with Leia that the good qualities in both of them would be enough to combat the evil that lurked from Vader's genes. She wasn't so sure. "The Emperor used your father. Maybe the answer isn't simply genetics, maybe the answer is finding _why _your father fell in the first place."

"I think Sela's done with my little Jedi quests," Luke said with a grin, "for now anyways. She's tired of being poked and prodded every time we come back." 

"Those medics sure are worried about the little guy," Han drawled. He reached out and placed his hand on Luke's shoulder. "Kid, I'm sure your son is going to grow up to be a fine young man, all this worrying is ridiculous."


	6. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe cheers Evelyn up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some sweet little Poe and little Evelyn feels!

_ **** _ _ **Yavin, 12 ABY** _

Little sniffles joined the chorus of birds as Poe picked his way along the jungle path. Stopping, he listened for a second and then, ducking underneath some ferns, he found the source of the out of place sound.

Evelyn Skywalker sat with her tiny back against a tree, knees drawn up to her face and she was crying.

Poe glanced down the path, where moments before he had seen her older brother and cousin run down. He had been running to catch up himself to go play with his friends. “Hey, Evie,” Poe said, gently, as he went to sit with her. “What are you doing hiding back here?”

“Go away,” she mumbled into her knees. “They don’t want to play with me, so why would you?”

“What? Who doesn’t want to play with you?”

“Kaleb and Ben; they don’t want to play with a girl. They think I'm too small. So, they ran off without me.” 

His mother had always taught him to be kind, even to those that you didn't like. He _liked _Evelyn, he didn't mind that she was smaller than him when they played, but he also liked playing with Kaleb and Ben. Poe remembered what it was like having no other children on Yavin IV to play with; it was incredibly boring at times. So, it must have been really hard for Evelyn, who did have other children to play with, but those other children just didn’t want to play with her. “My dad was going into the colony; if you want to go, I'm sure he'll let us go with him. I bet he’ll take us to the sweets shop.”

Evelyn raised her face to look at him. Her blue eyes were swollen and red from crying; there were tears on her cheeks. “Really? You don’t want to go play with Kaleb and Ben? They were going to go climb trees and pretend to be Pathfinders.”

Poe shook his head. He stood up and held his small hand out to her and he made sure to give her a friendly smile. Slowly, Evelyn placed her tiny hand in his own and he helped her to her feet. “Nah. I'm not in the mood to climb trees. So come on, let’s go get some sweets with my dad!”

"I didn't think anyone wanted to be my friend," the little girl muttered, wiping her eyes the back of her hand. 

"I'll be your friend, Evie," the little boy said, smiling broadly. "Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on constructing a Tumblr page for my fanfic/fandom stuff. You can find it here: https://summahwriter.tumblr.com


	7. Always, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe is leaving for flight school. Evelyn is upset that he’s going.

** _Yavin IV, 20 ABY_ **

“Everything’s changing; I hate it.”

Poe slung his duffel over his shoulder and smiled at her, softly. His father had warned him that teenage girls could be dramatic, perhaps overly dramatic at times and for the most part, Evelyn was not that kind of girl. She was definitely more mature than most thirteen year olds. “What do you mean?”

Her blue eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembled. “You’re leaving and now that you’re going to the Academy and are eighteen, you’re not going to want to be friends with me anymore.”

“Oh, Evie,” Poe sighed, he dropped his bag in the grass. “That’s not true.”

“Yes it is,” Evelyn cried, large tears rolling down soft cheeks. “Ben says you’ll make friends your own age and want to hang out with them, especially the girls, and not want to come home to be bothered by a little girl.”

Force, could Ben be mean to her at times. Poe rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “He only said those things to upset you. It’s _not _true; yes, I’m sure I’ll make friends at flight school, maybe some of them will be girls, but Evie, they aren’t my best friend, okay? They aren’t you.”

Evelyn wiped her eyes, even though she was still crying. “You say that now.”

Poe sighed again, stepping closer to her. It had been decided easier to say good-bye to her brother; Kaleb was excited for him, couldn’t wait to hear all his stories when he came back to Yavin to visit. Evelyn on the other hand was having a complete breakdown. “Come here, Evie,” he said, opening his arms to her and allowing her to snuggle into his embrace. “I told you once, a long time ago, that I would always be your friend. I meant that.”

“You promise?”

“Always.”


	8. Always, Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a dangerous mission, Poe returns to the base injured. Pre-The Force Awakens.

** _Resistance Base, D’Qar, 34 ABY_ **

_Black One_ arrived back on base late at night. Someone pounded on her door, alerting her that Poe had finally returned to the base, but the urgency in their voice, that they needed to get to the med bay immediately.

She managed to throw on some decent clothes. It had been days since the Resistance had heard from Poe and they had all started fearing the worst, that he was dead or captured by the First Order, which if he had been caught by the enemy then he was better off dead. 

Evelyn ran, barefoot, through the base towards the med bay, heart pounding against her rib cage. She didn’t know what she would find. Poe had been missing for days, but he had made it home. If he made it home alive, then surely he would be fine, surely he would be rushing back into things hours from now much too soon. 

Nurses and medical droids blocked her view of Poe when she entered the med bay. They were attempting to hold the commander down, he was struggling against their efforts, demanding to see Evelyn. 

“Commander Dameron!” Harter Kalonia shouted, desperately. “Please! You’re only going to make your injuries worse by fighting us like this.”

“Evelyn! Just let me see her!” Poe shouted, the medical monitors they had managed to hook him up too screamed warnings. “I need to make sure she’s safe!”

“Poe,” she gasped, pushing her way through the nurses so he could see her. She bit back a cry when she saw him, the blood on his face, covering his flight suit. Instead, she helped ease him back down onto the cot. “I’m here.”

Immediately his struggle ceased. Poe collapsed against the cot, his hand briefly touched her cheek. “You’re here,” he repeated, “you’re safe.”

She pushed damp curls back from his forehead. Evelyn offered him a small smile. “I’m here. I’m safe,” she reassured him, placing a hand over his heart while the medics got to work on treating his injuries. “You came back.”

He managed a weak smile, despite the pain. Poe closed his blood caked fingers around hers and sighed, “I’ll come back. Always.”


	9. Bloodline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke tells his children about his father.

_ **Yavin, IV 14 ABY** _

Luke and Leia had differing opinions informing their children of their lineage. Luke wanted to let them know, so they could learn from Anakin’s mistakes, but Leia was anxious, fearful that by knowing the truth they would be tempted to follow in their grandfather’s footsteps. So, it was one summer evening when Ben was home on Hosnian Prime visiting his parents, that Luke decided he needed to tell Kaleb and Evelyn the truth.

“Remember, this is our secret,” he told the two children, who sat cross-legged from him in the grass.

“We can’t tell Mama?” Evelyn asked.

“Mama knows this secret.”

“What about Ben? Or Poe?” Kaleb inquired.

Luke shook his head. “You cannot tell Ben or Poe.” _I want you to be able too, but your aunt thinks it needs to be kept a secret. Maybe she’s right…maybe she’s wrong… _ “Do you remember that I told you that your grandfather was a great Jedi during the Clone Wars?” Both Kaleb and Evelyn nodded, and Luke continued, “He was tricked by the Emperor, tricked into believing that the Jedi were going to be the ones that hurt your grandmother and he thought what he was doing was right, in order to keep her safe.”

Evelyn pursed her lips. Her mother had told her a little bit about Grandma Padme, but Sela admitted that things she knew, she had learned in school, and even then she was suspect that the Imperials were only giving them their side of the story. “Why did the Emperor trick him, Daddy?”

He gazed at her innocent face for a moment; she looked so much like her mother. Luke took a deep breath. “The Emperor was not a good person, Evelyn. He was power hungry and heartless. He wanted your grandfather for his powers and he wanted the Jedi to end.”

Kaleb moved forward on the grass, closer to his father, immediately sensing what his father was trying to tell them. “Did the Emperor use Grandfather Anakin to kill all the Jedi?”

“Yes,” Luke replied, watching the horror cross over the children’s faces,“he helped the Empire kill as many Jedi as they could. He took the name Darth Vader after that. He no longer was Anakin and the good man he was, ceased to exist, replaced by Vader.”

“Darth Vader!” Kaleb and Evelyn gasped at the same time. They knew the stories; everyone at the colony had stories about that dark Lord Vader.

_Maybe they aren’t ready to hear this, _Luke thought as he let the children scramble into his lap. He felt their uncertainty; would they be like Darth Vader someday? “Don’t worry,” he told them, smiling as he held them in his arms. “You are not going to be like him. There is too much light inside of each of you.”

Evelyn snuggled closer to her father, he could feel her little gears turning, as she was trying to piece everything together. “Daddy, didn’t Grandfather Anakin save you from the Emperor?”

Luke smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. “He did.”

“So… he returned to the light. He was Anakin again.”

“Yes, you’re right. How did you get so smart?”

“I got it from, Mama,” Evelyn replied, smiling. 

Luke hugged her and laughed. The galaxy could be an unforgiving place but he took solace in knowing that his children would not be so, that his children would always look for the light and fight for it.


	10. Friendship

_ **Yavin IV, 8 ABY** _

Nothing exciting ever happened on Yavin IV. Which was perfectly fine for his retired military parents, but for little Poe Dameron, it was the most boring place in the galaxy to live. It was hard when you only had the native wildlife as your friends. Poe was certain that other children his age, on more populated planets, had each other to play with. He wasn’t stupid; he knew that he probably had more freedom to roam his home planet than most kids and his mother always tried to make it up to him by taking him up in her A-wing.

Poe glanced up at the blue skies, his brown eyes watching as the clouds swept by. His mother had indulged his love of ships and flying since the moment he could talk. Someday, he was going to blast off this rock, he was going to go to flight school, he was going to become a pilot—perhaps the greatest pilot the galaxy had ever seen.

It was getting late in the day and he knew if he stayed out in the jungle much longer, well, his parents would start to worry. They might have let him have free range of the jungle, but that didn’t mean they worried less about him. Poe looked down the path towards the ranch, and smiling, took off in a run, leaping over unearthed tree roots and grabbing onto low hanging vines. He laughed with delight as his feet left the ground, as he flew through the air on the vines. He landed just at the edge of the Damerons’ property and blinking into the bright sunlight realized there was ship parked in the nearby clearing—a ship that he did not recognize.

Visitors were also rare for the Damerons, being on the far reaches of the Outer Rim and it was not time yet for their supply order to be delivered. Poe’s brow furrowed as he sprinted towards the front porch, curiosity getting the best of him. His mother had the windows open, letting the warm jungle breeze move through the house. Creeping under one of those windows he could hear voices. Papa, and Mama, of course, but there was another woman and man, and their voices were not familiar to him. However, the way his parents were talking to the couple, Poe guessed that they knew Kes and Shara.

There were questions about how the Damerons had been since they both had mustered out of the military, questions about life on Yavin—Papa and Mama answered them, with laughs and happy sighs; they loved the peace here, they loved being with their son. 

And there were more questions, from Papa, on where their friends were going to stay while the Temple was fixed up and their new house was built; a small silence, and then the man asked if Kes and Shara could take them in… but only if his family wouldn’t be a burden to Papa and Mama…

“Of course, you can stay here as long as you like, Luke,” Shara exclaimed. “And you’d never be a burden!”

“How long do think it will take for the Republic to send those supplies to get that Temple up and running?”Kes asked.

“Hopefully not long,” the man replied in a soft, warm tone. “After all, no one has lived in some of those temples for thousands of years.”

Poe lifted himself onto his tiptoes and peeked into the window. Seated at the dining table with his parents was the man, Luke, who wore a black tunic and pants, and one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen in his young life. If angels existed, Poe imagined they would look like her. She had long copper brown hair, pulled back in a loose bun and in her lap, a baby girl slept, peacefully. A little boy with sandy brown hair moved about her legs, munching on a fresh koyo fruit, the juice dripping down his chin.

Shara chuckled and used a cloth napkin to wipe his chin clean. Her brown eyes shined brightly watching the small child move around her table. “Poe gets just as messy when eating koyo fruit. I think you and he are going to become great friends, Kaleb.”

Kaleb simply smiled at his mother and reached for more koyo fruit. Poe’s tummy grumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten any lunch yet. After breakfast, he’d taken off to the jungle, to get lost in his adventures—to defeat the Empire in his X-wing. Now that the Empire had been thoroughly defeated by Poe, he was hungry. He thought about leaving his hiding spot and going inside so he could enjoy koyo fruit with the other little boy, but the woman was asking after him.

“Where is Poe?” the woman inquired, looking around the house.

“Probably half-way up a Massassi tree right now,” Kes said with a warm chuckle. “Always exploring that boy, with his head in the clouds.”

“He tried taking my A-wing up the other day, on his own,” Shara added, with a shake of her head. “Had it in pre-flight mode and everything, all on his own.”

Luke glanced in his direction and Poe dashed out of sight. He was incredibly proud of himself for getting the A-wing into pre-flight mode all by himself, and he was sure he would have gotten it to launch if his mother had not found him. “Smart boy,” the man said, with a soft laugh. “Sounds like he’ll make a great pilot one day, Shara.”

Poe beamed with pride from his hiding spot. His mother and father would tell him he could be anything he wanted, but they never acknowledged he’d make a great pilot. Poe surmised his mother never said it because she didn’t want to upset his father; Kes hated the idea of his son joining the military and becoming a fighter pilot. The former Pathfinder wanted a different life for his son. 

Inside the house, Poe heard the scraping of chairs on the floor. Kes was telling Luke that he’d walk him down to the Temple and they could reminisce about old times while they checked for repairs that needed to be done before his students moved in. Poe jumped from the front porch and hid in the bushes his mother had planted, watching as Kes and Luke left, walking down the path towards one of the old, abandoned Massassi temples, recanting stories of their days fighting in the Rebellion and how they both had hated the cold on Hoth. He watched them go before he climbed back onto the porch and then slipped in through the front door.

Shara heard him and turned to smile at her son. “There you are. Come here, little pilot, there’s some people I want you to meet.”

Poe gazed across the room at the woman. The baby girl in her lap had woken up and was now eating some koyo fruit as well. The little boy, Kaleb, was leaning against the woman’s leg, his blue eyes watching the older boy, cautiously. Poe shifted his gaze to the baby; her cheeks pulled into a warm smile and he couldn’t help but smile in return at her. 

“I don’t think we have to worry about the children being friends, Sela,” Shara said, ruffling her son’s hair. “Looks like Evelyn already likes you, Poe.”

“I think we’re all going to like the much quieter life here on Yavin then on Hosian Prime,” Sela replied. She gave her daughter a kiss on her head and put the little girl down. “Too much chatter and invasion of privacy in the Capital. Don’t get me wrong, Shara, I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to marry Luke—you don’t marry the hero of the Rebellion and start a family with him without the holonet breathing down your neck. But stars, it was really starting to affect the children.”

Shara frowned, watching as Evelyn wandered over to Poe, her sticky fingers holding out some fruit to him. “We might be living in the far reaches of the galaxy, but we still get the holonet; their obsession with your children, and Leia, disgusts us.”

Sela ran her fingers through Kaleb’s hair. “It’s why Luke wanted to leave; a quiet place to raise our family but also to rebuild the Jedi.”

Poe tore his eyes away from Evelyn, not caring that her sticky little fingers had latched onto his. He’d only heard stories of the Jedi, from some of the older men down at the colony, and his mother would often tell him tales of Luke Skywalker. _Luke._ “Are you Skywalkers?” the boy asked, eyes shifting towards Sela. 

“Not just smart, Shara, but insightful,” Sela said with a smile that lit up her whole face. “Yes, we’re Skywalkers. I hope you don’t mind we came to live here.”

“You’re going to live here?” Poe questioned; brow furrowed in curiosity. Why would anyone want to live here? Nothing happened on Yavin IV. It was a boring place.

“Luke needs a place to train new Jedi,” Sela answered him, honestly. “Do you think you can show Kaleb around? Show him all the fun places to play?”

“Sure. Can he climb trees? Those are the best places to play. You can pretend to be fighting against the Empire up there.”

“He can’t climb trees—yet—but I bet you can teach him.”

Brown eyes met blue ones. Poe had never actually taught anyone, anything. But if it meant having a friend and not just the woolamanders, well, Poe was going to try to teach Kaleb how to climb trees. He felt a tug on his arm and Evelyn let out a little cry as she stumbled over her small feet. She fell on her bottom and large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Poe glanced between Shara and Sela, a look of guilt and remorse passing over his young face. He didn’t mean to hurt the little girl; he had completely forgotten that she was even standing with him and holding his hand. He had just gotten so excited at the thought of having real friends… “I’m sorry!” he gasped. “Did I, did I hurt her? I didn’t mean to hurt her!”

Sela picked Evelyn off the floor and wiped her baby’s tears. “You didn’t hurt her,” she assured the little boy. “She’s just learning how to walk and she’s a little unsteady on her feet. She scared herself more than actually hurt herself.” She gently touched Poe’s curls. “You’re a sweet boy.”

“As sweet as they come,” Shara said, handing him a bowl of koyo fruit. “Poe, do you think you can take care of Kaleb and Evelyn for a few moments, while I help Sela bring their things into the house?”

“Yes, Mama,” Poe said, munching on his koyo fruit. He watched as Sela placed Evelyn on the floor. Immediately she started to cry when Sela left her sight. 

Cautiously the little boy sat down next to the crying baby. Poe smiled at her, softly. “It’s okay, your mama will be right back.” He held out some fruit to Evelyn. Her big blue eyes looked towards where her mother had gone, and then at her older brother, who was lounging over the chair, just watching. “Here, Evie,” he said, giving the little girl a nickname that would stick with her well into adulthood. “You can have some of my koyo fruit.”

Evelyn tentatively grabbed the fruit he offered, her cries not as loud or persistent. She finished her piece and then reached into his bowl for more. Poe continued to smile at her and talk to her. By the time his mother and Sela returned, both Evelyn and Kaleb were sitting with Poe on the floor—the bowl completely empty.

Poe turned his smiling face up towards his mother. “See, Mama, I took care of them. We’re friends now!”

Somehow, Shara knew that they would always be friends, the three of them, and that they would always take care of each other. 


	11. Shara

_ **Yavin, 10 ABY** _

On his seventh birthday, his mother had taken him up in her A-wing and let him _almost _take full control. 

By his eighth birthday, Shara was on her deathbed. Poe would not recall later in his life what exactly ailed his mother; Kes never talked about it, all he knew was that on his eight birthday his parents were nowhere to be found. Poe spent it with the Skywalkers at the Temple. Which, wasn’t such a bad thing, Master Luke had let him sit in the cockpit of his X-wing and talked with him about flying and told stories from the war. Sela had brought them cake and koyo fruit juice, and Poe was astutely aware that all the adults in his life were trying to hide that something bad was happening.

Poe had been taught by Shara to be observant. You had to be up in the cockpit. He decided not to worry the adults and ate his cake, drank his koyo fruit juice, and went off to play with Kaleb and Evelyn when Master Luke was summoned to the Dameron’s ranch.

It was hours later that Master Luke returned, the sun hung low in the sky, Yavin rising beyond the Massassi trees. Poe and Kaleb were climbing large boulders in the courtyard of the Temple, leaping off of them and seeing how far they could fly. Evelyn shouted at them to stop each time.

All three of the children knew something was up when one of Master Luke’s older students came out and announced that she was in charge of Kaleb and Evelyn for a little while. The other students were only asked to watched the Skywalker children if a problem arose that required the attention of both Luke and Sela—which was rare. Poe watched as his friends took the hands of the student and were led back into the Temple. Master Luke stood there, looking at him with sorrow, hands folded in front of him. “Poe, come here, so we can talk.”

“Is something wrong?” Poe asked, watching as Master Luke sat on one of the boulders that he’d just leapt from. He sat down with the Jedi Master. “Are you mad that I dared Kaleb to jump off the rocks?”

“Oh no, I’m not mad,” Master Luke answered, smiling at him. He reached out and placed a hand on the back of the little boy’s head. “You know your mother is sick, right?”

“Yeah. She stays in bed all the time,” Poe replied. “Papa moved her bed next to the window so she could see the sky.”

Master Luke gently stroked his hair. He heaved a sigh, and his eyes wet with tears, whispered, “Your mother was too sick to make better, Poe. She didn’t want to leave you on your birthday, but her body just gave out; it was too much for her to handle anymore.”

Poe swallowed. In his eight-year-old mind he knew what Master Luke was telling him—that his mother, the strong, the brave Shara Bey—was gone. He just didn’t want to believe it. Pushing off the rock, Poe ran all the way home, his lungs burned for air by the time he reached the front porch, bursting into the house screaming for his mother.

Kes appeared in the bedroom door, his eyes red from crying, muscles aching from holding his wife so rightly while she took her last breath in his arms. Shara had not wanted their little boy to see her so sick and frail. On her good days they could both see how it affected him, on her bad… Shara asked that Kes kept him away. Poe never asked why, he had seen how much weight his mother lost, how thin and frail she became. So now, Kes blocked the bedroom door with his large frame.

His son tried to get past him, tried to use his small body to dislodge his father from his post. Ultimately, he could not, and Poe collapsed on the floor. “Papa, I want to see Mama. Master Luke says she didn’t get better! But she’s going to get better! She… we haven’t finished our flying lessons yet!”

He couldn’t say anything. Kes felt dead inside. So many promises now gone with his wife.

Sela was the one that saved him from having to answer. She gently took Poe by the arm and pulled him away from the bedroom. Getting down on her knees in front of him, she pulled the little boy tightly into her embrace, whispering, “I’m sorry.”

“No!” Poe sobbed, shaking his head. “NO!” he now screamed, pushing Sela away. As tiny sobs racked his small body, Poe ran from the house, towards the garage. As he ran, he saw the nurse and doctor from the colony cleaning up their equipment—his mother’s face covered with a white sheet. “Mama…” he whimpered. “You promised!” _You promised you’d teach me everything! You promised you’d always be there!_

* * *

Kaleb and Evelyn climbed up the ladder of the A wing; inside the cockpit they could hear little sniffles. The adults had been searching for Poe. After the news broke that Shara Bey, former hero of the Rebellion, mother, wife, had passed, a solemn feeling had fallen over the Temple and Yavin in general.

Poe was nestled inside his mother’s fighter, legs pulled up to his chest, face buried in his knees. He barely moved when his two friends climbed into the cockpit with him. Fortunately, Kaleb and Evelyn were still small and wedged themselves on either side of Poe. No words were spoken between the three children; the beauty of their friendship was that at times they didn’t need verbal language to communicate. Both the Skywalker children hugged Poe.

His sniffles turned to cries. Poe felt so lost and alone. His mother was gone and she was never coming back; he would never learn to fly, never go to flight school. How could he leave Papa now? Papa would need him, he’d seen the blank look in Kes’ eyes as he stood blocking the door the bedroom. Mama would want them to stick together, to take care of one another and he would never be able to take care of his father if he was so far away at flight school.

It felt like all his dreams had died that day, not just his mother. 

Burying his face further into his knees, he sobbed; his friends small hands rubbed his back, shoulders, and eventually all three children fell to sleep.

* * *

“Did you find them?” Sela asked as Luke stepped inside the house. “Kriff Luke, what if they went out into the jungle this late at night!”

“I found them,” Luke assured her. “Sleeping. In Shara’s A-wing.”

Sela felt like her husband had punched her in the gut. _Of course. _No one had thought to check Shara’s fighter for Poe when they realized that the little boy was not coming back. It had been agreed upon to give Poe some space, but as hours passed that he was gone, the more worried they had become. “We should bring them inside, put them to bed.”

Luke nodded and sighed, sadly. “Yes, I know, but leave them for a few. Poe is finally feeling better after hours of grieving. I think he needs his friends now more than he needs another adult gazing at him with pity.”

Tears pooled in her green eyes and she turned away from him. For weeks Sela knew that Shara wasn’t long for this galaxy, but seeing poor Poe, heartbroken over his mother’s death… it had broken her heart. “He feels like the galaxy is falling apart, Luke, that all his dreams are now gone—he’s only eight—it’s not fair. And I know Shara never foresaw herself dying this young, but she made a promise to her son that she now cannot keep.”

“He’ll learn to fly,” Luke stated in that calm, comforting, soft tone of voice of his. “He was always destined to fly—even if Shara didn’t foster that desire.”

“Luke, in case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t _one _flight school on Yavin,” Sela pointed out, sarcastically as she washed the pile of dirty dishes in Kes’ sink.

“I can teach him—you—Han.”

“Han was pretty upset that Ben didn’t seem interested in flying.”

Luke’s lips pulled into a sad smile. 

“Han will be happy to have another student. See, Sela, Yavin _will _have a flight school.”

Sela sighed, wiping her tears on the back of her hand. Shara had been one of the first friends she had made in the Rebellion, a woman that had accepted her from the moment she met her while others had not been thrilled, she was there. Her father’s reputation was well known. “She always used to tell me that she was going to die in a blaze of glory,” Sela whimpered, dropping the dish was cleaning into the sink, “I just didn’t think… maker… Luke she was _so _young!”

He went and hugged his wife, pulling her into his arms protectively, not caring that her hands were still wet and she was getting his jumpsuit wet. Luke knew how much Shara had meant to Sela, by the time he’d met Sela the two were thick as thieves—it was Sela that recommended that Shara help Luke retrieve the Force tree. Gently, he ran his hands through his wife’s copper hair, feeling her fear at the thought _she _might leave her children so young. “No one is ever really gone, Sela.”

She turned in his arms and gripped his jumpsuit. Sela had lost at lot over the years—her mother, her older brother—her little sister. They were all a distant memory now. She had searched for them after the war of course; her brother had been killed, and her mother… a shell of the woman that Sela remembered. She didn’t dare tell her mother when she finally saw her again that she had met and married Luke Skywalker—if her leaving for the Rebellion wasn’t enough to disown her, well, marrying the greatest enemy of the Empire surely was.

“Mama,” Evelyn’s tiny voice said from the door.

“Hi, darling,” Sela said, pulling away from Luke and wiping at her eyes. “Are you ready for bed?”

“Shara told me to tell you not to be sad.”

Her statement stopped both Luke and Sela in their tracks. She threw a look at her husband, one mixed with terror and curiosity. Sela knew that her daughter was deeply connected to the Force, even at such a young age, her husband and the other Jedi constantly commented that she was an incredibly bright light. _The Jedi’s Light, _ Lon San Tekka had nicknamed her as a baby. “Shara…told you what?”

Evelyn could clearly see that her parents were upset but she didn’t know why. “Shara told me that you shouldn’t be sad. She’s not sick anymore.”

Luke stepped towards his little girl, picked her up and searched her eyes for a moment. The fact that Evelyn was so comfortable with a vision coming to her solidified his decision that he should start training his children young. Pressing a kiss to her temple, Luke turned towards Sela. “See, never really gone.”

Sela sighed, sadly and nodded. It was going to take her a long time to get over her sadness but for Shara, she would try her best. “Are your brother and Poe still asleep in the ship?”

“Uh-huh,” Evelyn said, and then she yawned. Her little head rested on her father’s shoulder and she too was soon fast asleep.

“I’ll go lay her in Poe’s bed,” Luke announced, “and then get the boys. Have you checked on Kes?”

“Hasn’t left his room since they took her away,” Sela replied, fighting back tears. “We should probably stay here, for a while, you know make sure Kes and Poe are alright.”

Little did Sela and Luke know that a little while was in actuality going to be eight months.


	12. The Force Tree

Months after Shara’s death, her A-wing sat, covered in the garage. 

Poe could barely look at it. He missed his mother, he missed her soft presence, her laughter. Most of all he missed their flying lessons. Master Luke had taken him up in his X-wing a few times, and he was a great teacher, but for Poe, it wasn’t the same. When he’d been up there with his mother, it was their special time—no one could bother his mother, no one could take time away from her being with her son—she had left a massive void in the little boy’s life.

His new place to hide was in the branches of the Force tree. Poe found comfort in the tree, like no one could hurt him up there. There was also a sense of loneliness. Of course, Poe wasn’t really alone. Papa was there, Master Luke, Sela—the Skywalkers had been staying on the Dameron ranch since Shara’s passing. He did like having Kaleb and Evelyn around to play with.

Still, even having his friends so close didn’t help the bouts of sadness. Especially on days that Papa barely spoke to him. Poe would climb the Force tree and hide, wanting to disappear from Yavin, wishing that he could go where his mother had gone.

“Poe?” Sela called up to him. “Are you hungry? I made lunch for Kaleb and Evelyn.”

“A little,” Poe called back, wiping the tears from his cheeks. He could feel the air around the tree shift. It always felt warmer, brighter, when Sela was around.

“Well, come on down. And becareful! I don’t need you falling out of _another _tree.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Poe wiggled down the tree and before leaving, whispered that he would be back later. The branches fluttered in the breeze, as if it was saying goodbye to him. In the last few months, he had formed a bond with the tree. He knew most adults would probably think he was crazy for thinking so, but Poe knew it in his heart. The Force tree thought he was special and that was needed at time when Poe was feeling not so special. 

Sela placed her hand on his head as they walked back towards the ranch. “Luke says the tree can sense light and dark; it senses a lot of light in you, Poe. Or so I’ve been told. I’m not force sensitive; I just live with three people who happen to be very strong in the Force.”

So, his feelings that he had bonded with the tree were not so far-fetched. This warmed Poe’s heart. However, Poe did not feel a lot of light inside of him at the moment. It still hurt thinking about Mama and how much he missed her.

* * *

“Master Luke,” Poe said, softly as he approached the Jedi Knight. “Why did you give my mom the Force tree?”

“She helped me save it,” Luke replied, smiling at the little boy. “Your mother risked her life to help me and I felt I should show my gratitude. She was very excited to receive it.”

Poe sat down in the grass with Luke, crossing his legs. He leaned forward, resting his arms over his knees. “She tried to take me there; I think she wanted to tell me about the tree, but I… Master Luke I wasn’t interested. I just wanted her to teach me how to fly.”

Luke ran his fingers through the boys thick curls and sighed. Poe was having a difficult time dealing with Shara’s death. Better than his father, however. Some days Kes didn’t even leave his bedroom. Luke and Sela had taken up running the koyo farm as well as the Jedi Temple. The last few months had been hard on everyone on Yavin; Kaleb and Evelyn were getting tired of having to share a bedroom with Poe and they did not understand why they could not go back to their own home. 

Sela did not want to leave Kes. She was worried about him, worried about what he might do. As it was, if Sela wasn’t around preparing meals for them, Luke was certain that Poe and Kes would not eat.

“Your mother was not upset that you were not interested in the tree,” Luke assured the boy. “I know she loved your flying lessons.”

“I wanted to be a great pilot like her,” Poe murmured, tears in his eyes.

“Poe, you can still be that pilot.”

“How? I can’t leave Papa. He needs me.”

For one so young, Poe was fiercely loyal. Luke grasped the boy’s shoulder and forced him to look up at him. “Poe. Your father would not want you to stay here on Yavin just because you think you cannot leave him. Sela and I will look out for him while you’re gone. I know that right now your father is in a rough place—it will get better.”

Poe wanted to believe that but to his eight-year-old eyes, it did not look like Papa was ever going to get better. He knew that Papa spent a lot of time in bed, that the other adults were worried. It took a lot of coaxing by Sela to get his father out of the bedroom the other day just to take a shower. How could his father, once one of Han Solo’s Pathfinders, be so broken that he couldn’t even shower? Poe blinked back his tears knowing that if Mama were here, that everything would have been fine.

But his mother wasn’t there; this was the reason that his father barely spoke, barely looked at him, barely moved. It was the eason that Papa was barely alive. Poe wiped the tears from his eyes, he just needed to trust that what Master Luke said was true. “Do you think I can show Kaleb and Evelyn the tree?”

Luke smiled at him. “I think they would like you to show it to them very much.”

* * *

Early the next morning, after Sela had made sure they ate some breakfast, Poe led Kaleb and Evelyn towards the Force tree. He held Evelyn’s little hand in his own, walking at her pace while Kaleb skipped a head of him. Poe always felt responsible for Evelyn when the children went off on their own. She was smaller than him and her brother and she could easily get hurt in the jungle. He never much cared for taking care of himself, something that his mother had often scolded him of—but then she would kiss his cheek and tell him he was a sweet boy for taking care of Evelyn.

Poe could feel the Force tree the closer they got, it was elated that he’d brought Kaleb and Evelyn. Their identical blue eyes widened at the sight and Evelyn tugged on his hand, forcing him to walk faster. She ran little fingers along the trunk, a smile growing across her face. 

They played for hours that day in the shadow of the tree, and the Force tree beamed with joy as it watched over them. Before long, the gas giant was beginning to rise in the sky as the sun set, casting the jungle around them in a red hue. Sela was the one that came to retrieve them, stating that they had to be hungry since they had played outside all day long and not come home once for lunch. Poe announced he had snuck some koyo fruit with them and made sure Kaleb and Evelyn didn’t go hungry.

“Sweet boy,” Sela whispered, running her hands through his hair. She picked Evelyn up off the ground, and with Kaleb eagerly chattering besides her, they went back towards the Damerons’ ranch for dinner.

“Good night, tree,” Poe said softly, hugging the trunk. Briefly, he saw himself as a young man, in a flight suit. The Force tree was showing him his future—Master Luke had been right; he _was _going to be a pilot.

That night was the first time since Shara's death that Poe went to bed not feeling so sad or lonely. He had his friends, he had Papa, and he had his tree. Right now, Poe decided that was all he needed at eight-years-old.


	13. First Steps

_ **Yavin IV, 11 ABY** _

Ben Solo was six when he came to live on Yavin IV.

Mother and Father seemed conflicted about him coming to live here with his aunt, uncle and cousins. Yavin was a long way from the shiny Core world of Hosian Prime. Ben was still young, but he was old enough to understand that his parents were worried. There was something inside of him that scared them; he heard their whispers when they thought he was sleeping. They were never scared of Kaleb or Evelyn, his parents seemed so happy when his cousins rushed out of the Skywalkers’ house to greet them.

Father immediately put Evelyn on his shoulders, while the four-year-old asked question after question about the _Millenium Falcon. _ His father laughed, smiled, bringing that twinkle to his eye that Ben hardly ever saw for him. Ben stood, awkwardly at the end of the ramp, watching as Father answered all of Evelyn’s questions, as Mother hugged Aunt Sela and then Uncle Luke—as she inquired about Sergeant Dameron and Poe. He had no idea who those people were, he just knew that Mother and Father had traveled to Yavin a year ago, without him, because Lieutenant Bey had passed away.

Aunt Sela sighed and there were tears in her eyes as she answered. Kes—or Sergeant Dameron—had not been well for a while, but he was doing better now. Poe, the Sergeant’s son, kept him going. Uncle Luke pat his aunt on the back and informed Mother that they had moved out of the Damerons’ home six months ago.

Ben was even more confused now. Why would a fully-grown man need his aunt and uncle to live with him? _Can't he take care of himself? _

“Whoa!” an excited voice cried out. “Papa! It’s the _Millennium Falcon_!”

“That it is son,” a deep voice replied with a chuckle.

Suddenly a little boy, with dark wavy hair, tan skin and dark brown eyes, appeared at Father’s legs. He eagerly tugged on Father’s shirt. “Captain Solo, can I see the cockpit? I promise I won’t touch anything! I just want to see inside the ship that made the Kessel run in twelve parsecs!”

Father threw his head back and laughed. “Your boy knows his stuff, Kes,” he said, reaching out and ruffling the little boy’s hair. “Don’t worry, Poe, Leia and I are here for a few days to get Ben settled. I’ll make time for you to sit inside the cockpit. Maybe we can go up for a little spin.”

Poe’s face broke into a broad smile. “Really?”

“Yeah. Think you can handle being my co-pilot? Chewie couldn’t make this trip.”

“Yes sir, I can co-pilot for you sir!”

Ben felt the protest on his lips. Father _never _let him fly his ship. Just because Poe knew about the Kessel Run, knew how fast his father had flown it, that gave him the rights to sit in the co-pilot’s seat? Mother placed her hand on his head and told him to shush; he wasn’t old enough to fly yet, and Poe had just lost his mother so they should be nice. Ben fell silent, but was still very, very angry. His parents were paying so much attention to a farmer’s son than their own.

Poe looked, cautiously over his shoulder at the other little boy and then he looked uncertainly at his own father. Sergeant Dameron offered a small smile and then placed a large hand on his son's shoulder. He then invited everyone to dinner at the ranch later; he was making root stew, something that the Rebellion had enjoyed on Endor. “I may not be an Ewok, but I make one hell of a root stew,” the former Pathfinder joked, before taking his son by the hand and heading back to the ranch.

They certainly didn’t eat stew on Hosian Prime. Ben scoffed at the idea. Why did he have to come live here? Couldn’t Aunt Sela and Uncle Luke return to the capital and he could train there? Why did he have to move and leave his friends behind… why did he have to come to this Force forsaken planet? 

“Do you want to see your room, Ben?” Aunt Sela asked him. “Kaleb helped set up a nice little corner for you in his room.”

“I have to share a room?” Ben spat, not happy. He wasn’t happy about _any _of this. 

“Just for a little while,” Uncle Luke assured him. “The students and I are working on making the house bigger. Then, you’ll have your own room.”

“When you’re old enough, you’ll move into the Temple with the other students,” Aunt Sela supplied.

“I’m not old enough to do _anything,_” Ben grumbled.

Mother and Father exchanged glances. Normally, Ben was a happy child, but he would go through periods of mood swings; which concerned his mother. She might be fully trained in the Force but she sensed the growing darkness in her son. 

Uncle Luke looked just as worried as Mother. _Good. Maybe they’ll change their minds and I can go home. I hate this stupid place._

* * *

In the days that followed, Ben was urged to go out and play with his cousins.

Kaleb and Evelyn often wanted to head to the Damerons’ ranch, where they would climb into the cockpit of Shara Bey’s old fighter with Poe—pretending that they were members of Green Squadron, fighting in the battle of Endor. 

Ben usually just sat underneath the fighter, reading one of his books. He wasn’t interested in their silly games. For Ben, they were a waste of time when he could be using that time learning everything he could about the galaxy. Poe and his cousins tried to get him to put the books down, some of the other students at the Temple teased him for always having his nose in a book, but Ben didn’t care. They would all be crawling to him one day when they needed help studying for some exam.

“Do you want to climb trees?” Poe asked, the day before Mother and Father were due to depart Yavin IV. “Wait, do you know how to climb a tree?”

“Of course I know how to climb a tree,” Ben snapped at the boy. “I’m not stupid!”

Poe sighed. He had been trying since Ben arrived to be his friend, but Ben didn’t want anything to do with him. Especially when Father had taken the older boy up in the _Falcon _and for a spin around Yavin—the gas giant, not the jungle moon. Father and Poe had returned to the moon laughing and Ben heard Father comment to Sergeant Dameron that he wished his own son was that enthusiastic about flying. _Flying is stupid, _Ben grumbled to himself, even though he wished Father would pay that much attention to him.

Father had offered later in the day to take Kaleb and Evelyn up, riding around the atmosphere of the moon; he’d invited Ben along, but Ben wanted the same treatment that Poe got. He wanted to fly around the gas giant, to help co-pilot the _Falcon_—Father told him when he was older, like Poe, he’d take him up into space to co-pilot. Today, he could see the jungle moon. 

Mother kept telling him to be patient. His time would come. It was the day that Mother and Father left for Hosian Prime that the voice inside his head started to tell him the same thing. _Your time will come._

* * *

Four months after Mother and Father left, it became obvious that Uncle Luke was going to treat him differently than Kaleb and Evelyn. It drove Ben crazy. He was just as ready as his cousins, just as powerful, if not more—why should he be regulated to stupid exercises while his cousins got more challenging ones? Evelyn was only four. She should _not _be more advanced than him. She _was not _more advanced then him, and yet Uncle Luke treated her like a princess.

Ben sat in the courtyard, watching as Evelyn practiced lifting small stones in the air with the Force, her little face beaming. He scowled. Uncle Luke had yet to teach him how to use the Force to do that, he had to get his emotions under control first. He pictured his little cousin being tossed in the air…

….and Evelyn screamed, a bloodcurdling cry that echoed through the Temple.

Aunt Sela and Uncle Luke both came running, to find their daughter up against a rock in the courtyard, holding her arm. Large tears ran down her cheeks and she took gasping sobs, as her parents asked her what happened. 

Ben stood there, somewhat stunned, somewhat proud of himself, and a little remorseful. He _didn’t _mean to hurt Evelyn. So he kept his mouth shut, because he knew his aunt and uncle would not see it his way.

Poe ratted him out. He’d been tossing a ball with Kaleb in the courtyard while Evelyn practiced her levitating. “Master Luke, it was Ben.”

“What? Ben?” Uncle Luke questioned, looking across the courtyard at his nephew.

“I didn’t do anything!” Ben cried. “He’s lying!”

“Yes, you did! I saw you!” Poe argued. “You looked at her and she went flying through the air, right into that rock!”

“Ben why did you hurt Evie?” Kaleb whimpered.

“I didn’t! Poe’s lying!” Ben roared; his small fists clenched at his sides. 

Aunt Sela swallowed, gently picking a still sobbing Evelyn up. “Her arm is broken, Luke. I should probably take her to see the healer. Come on, Poe, I think you should go home for the afternoon.”

Uncle Luke sent Kaleb along with them. He expressed his disappointment in Ben. It was never alright to use the Force to hurt someone. He wasn’t going to punish Ben, after all the little boy still didn’t understand the full range of his powers, but he was going to call Mother and Father and let them know what happened. Uncle Luke placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder and together they walked into the Temple, towards the communication room.

Ben stood next to his uncle while he calmly told Mother and Father what happened.

Mother reacted with surprise. “_Ben why would you do that?” _

Father was furious. “_You need to control that temper. You could have seriously hurt Evelyn!” _

“I’m sorry,” Ben muttered, tears welling in his eyes. “I didn’t really mean to hurt her.”

“_Oh well, now that that is cleared up.” _

_“Han! You’re not helping!” _

_“Leia, I knew this was a bad idea; he’s not ready yet.” _

Ben glared at the holoimages of his parents, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I am ready!” he shouted, the room shaking a little at the sheer power his anger produced.

Uncle Luke gripped his shoulder, eyes flickering towards Mother and Father on the screen. He assured them that Ben was going to be fine and promised to call them in a few days with an update. As the transmission faded, he settled his gaze on his nephew. “Ben, your father is right, your temper needs to be controlled. I know you’re frustrated. I was once just as frustrated as you are. You’ll get there, I promise.”

As he thought about what happened to Evelyn that day, Ben heard the voice in his head—again—_these are your first steps._


	14. All That Mattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow up to Always, Part Three. This was a request on my Tumblr page :)

** _Somewhere in the Outer Rim, 34 ABY_ **

There was a lot about this situation that Poe was not clear on. The one thing that he was clear on—he was bleeding, badly. _Black One’s _cockpit spun before him every time he opened his eyes. What exactly had happened again? He had been on a mission, right? With his squadron... or had he been alone? Poe struggled to answer these questions, he just could not remember _how _he’d gotten to this point.

His hands fumbled with the controls of his fighter. Poe was attempting to make it back home, to the Resistance base on D’Qar. 

_You left her behind..._

Poe’s eyes flew open in panic. He’d left her behind; he’d left Evelyn behind in that awful hell hole of a planet to die. “Beebee-ate! We’re going back! We have to find her!” He could hear the droid respond to him, but Poe couldn’t make out the words. All he could focus on was that the droid had locked him out of the controls. “Beebee!” he screamed, desperately. “We _have _to go back! Evelyn!”

BB-8 was not turning around. They had to get back to the base, otherwise, Poe would die from his injuries. 

“NO!” Poe shouted, yanking on the non-responsive controls. “I won’t leave her!”

It was useless; the droid had made up his mind. Poe let out a strangled cry as he fell unconscious once again. He didn’t wake until he heard BB-8′s frantic beeps and a vaguely familiar voice calling to him from a distance.

Blinking open his eyes he could see the stark white walls of the medical bay, a nurse looking down on him. They had made it back to base and in a flutter of pure fury, Poe shot up off the cot, shouting for _her. _ He had to know that she was safe, that she was here... that she had made it back to base despite the fact that he had left her behind after being ambushed. Poe fought against the nurses holding him down, ignored Harter Kalonia’s pleas for him to stop, that he was going to make his injuries worse. _I just need to see her! I need to know she’s safe!_

“Poe!” a gasp emerged from behind the throngs of nurses, and then her face appeared, her eyes filled with anguish seeing him hurt. “I’m here.” 

“You’re here,” Poe murmured, feeling all fight leave his body. “You’re safe.” _I didn’t lose you. _

Evelyn smiled at him softly, gently pushing his damp hair back away from his eyes. “I’m here. I’m safe,” she reassured him. Evelyn continued talking to him and he was sure he answered, he just wasn’t sure what words came out of his mouth. 

He felt her hand over his heart. Poe sighed, feeling relief taking over as he reached up with his own hand, caked in his blood, and covered hers. Now that he knew she was safe, he could allow the nurses and Doctor Kalonia to work on him. Looking at her, it appeared that she wasn’t even injured. _Perhaps_, Poe thought, _she hadn’t been with me at all. Maybe I made that up._

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Poe felt a small prick in his arm and then a tingling sensation coursed through his veins. It wasn’t long before the sedative took effect and the last thing he saw was her face. She was here, she was safe, that was all that mattered to Poe.


	15. Shara's Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kes gifts Shara's wedding ring to Poe just before he leaves on his mission to Jakku.

_ **Yavin IV, 34 ABY** _

Kes found her ring in an old jewelry box. It had been years since he had laid his own eyes on it, a simple metal band. He ran his thumb and index finger over the cool to the touch ring, sighing, heavily. It had always been Shara’s wish that Poe had this ring one day, to pass along to the right person. Kes wasn’t sure if Poe had found the right person yet, however, he did have a pretty good idea that his son was finally in a serious, lasting relationship, He was sure that his son was ready to possess the ring. 

Poe was outside, preparing the old T-65 X-wing he was going to fly in to Jakku. His custom painted T-70 sat nearby, parked next to his mother’s old A-wing. Kes stopped, watching as his son worked, as BB-8 rolled around the young man’s legs. There was a chance that _this _could be the last time Kes ever saw his son. He was proud of Poe, extremely proud, his son was fighting to preserve all the values Kes and Shara had instilled in him. Clutching the ring in his large hand, Kes moved towards Poe. “You’re leaving soon,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

“Yeah,” Poe said with a nod. “General Organa advised that I move quickly.”

“Listen, I know that you can’t tell me exactly what you’re doing for her,” Kes said, tightly, “but just promise me you’ll be careful.” 

“Promise, Papa, I’ll be careful—I always am.”

“No, you’re not, remember I raised you.”

His son smiled at him, an easy one, a smile that was meant to reassure his father that it was going to be fine. Poe slid into his jacket and then brushed his hair back. "I don't plan on being on Jakku very long, Papa. In and out, that's my plan. I'll be back here to pick up my ship in no time."

He sighed and nodded his head. Kes opened his hand and held the ring out to his son. "I want you to take something. Your mother...she wanted you to have this one day. When I asked her to marry me, I didn't have the money to get her a proper ring; I fashioned this out of a washer from a Starfighter. She never... she never asked for a real one after the war was over. That was your mother, though, selfless until the end."

Poe gazed at the ring. "I haven't seen this is years. The last time... it was right before she died."

Kes nodded, clearing his throat. "She'd want you to give it to the right person; maybe... when you get back from this crazy mission you're on, you can give it to Evie. She reminds me of your mother sometimes, same selflessness, same compassion. Your mother would have loved the young woman she's become, she would have loved the two of you becoming more than friends."

BB-8 whistled before Poe could say another word. It was time to go. He closed his fingers around the ring before leaning down and asking his droid to keep it safe for him. Poe turned towards his father while BB-8 incased the ring in one of his compartments, promising to keep it safe and sound for his master. "We have to go."

"I know," Kes replied, his throat tightening. He pulled his son into a tight embrace. "Be careful."

"Promise, Papa," Poe sighed. "I'll see you in a few days."

Kes let his son go and watched, sadly, as Poe climbed into the unmarked x-wing. Once BB-8 was loaded into the droid socket, Poe started the fighter up and just before he lifted off he gave one last wave to his father. Kes stood there long after the x-wing had left the atmosphere, silently praying he'd see his son again.


	16. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe, Kaleb, and Evelyn see snow for the first time as children.

_ **Naboo, 10 ABY** _

There was something white falling from the sky. Sela had put a heavy coat on all three of the children, hats, something called mittens that covered your fingers in one “home” and your thumb in another. Even the boots she had put on their feet were different than the ones the children were used too; they were thick, lined with fur, and heavy.

Kaleb ventured out of the ship first, leaping into the white powder on the ground and shouting, “Whoa! Poe come look at this!”

Evelyn watched as Poe dashed out of the freighter into the white powder with her brother, laughing. Both boys lifted their faces upwards and stuck their tongues out, trying to catch the white puffs falling from the clouds. The little girl looked at her mother, confused. 

“It’s snow, Evelyn,” Sela informed her daughter. “It only happens when it’s very cold.”

“Come play, Evie!” Poe called to her, his face beaming with a wide smile.

She still hesitated, even though it looked like her brother and Poe were having fun. Evelyn took a step closer to her mother. This was supposed to be an educational trip, since they were learning about different planets’ climate, but she would have preferred to stay home on Yavin, with Daddy. Evelyn didn’t like to travel, she liked to stay close to home where it was safe.

Poe bounded up the ramp then, back into the freighter. Snow clung to his hat and mittens. “Evie, come on!” he exclaimed, holding his hand out to her. When she didn’t move, Poe stepped closer and grabbed her hand. “It’s okay, Evie. Come with me; you know I’ll look out for you.”

Sela watched as her daughter took Poe’s hand and tentatively followed him out into the snow. It warmed her heart watching the three children play; it especially warmed her heart with how Poe _did _look out for Evelyn. He smiled sweetly at her, took her hand when she was nervous, and kept reminding her that it was okay. The last several months had been hard for Poe, with Shara’s passing, but the boy finally appeared to be healing. Before her death, Shara often teased Sela and Luke that they were going to be in-laws one day; watching Poe and Evelyn now, the sweet little friendship the two children had forged, Sela wondered if perhaps, Shara had been onto something…

As the children laughed playing in the snow, their joy contagious, Sela wasn’t sure what their future held. She was sure that her children and Poe had formed a strong bond. One that she was sure would never be broken.


	17. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Crait, the Resistance hides out on a cold planet.

It was cold. Ghost like mist rose from water so still it looked like a mirror, reflecting the reds, oranges, and yellows of this planet’s autumn season.

Poe carefully made his way along a narrow path that ran perpendicular to the lake. He wasn’t used to the cold; he grew up in the jungle after all. His breath swirled in white wisps in his face while he walked, the leaves and pine needles, coated in frost, crunched underneath his feet. Poe could not recall ever hearing a forest so quiet. There were no birds, no animals, just the sound of the wind rustling the last few leaves clinging to the branches. He found the lack of sound unnerving; he yearned for home, for the lush, verdant forests that he grew up in.

Unfortunately, for Poe, this had been the only planet with a breathable atmosphere in system, thus the Resistance had set up a temporary base.

Through the mist coming off the lake, he caught a flash of color; unusual for this brown clad forest. She turned as he approached, hair tucked underneath a burgundy, knit cap; cheeks and nose pink from the cold. The drab grey sky made her eyes look even more blue and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Poe shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “It’s freezing out here,” he snapped, “what the hell are you doing?”

“Enjoying the quiet,” Evelyn responded, her smile slightly sad, slightly tired. “There’s been so much noise the last few days.”

“You know, there are lot of abandoned spots in the base that are quiet,” Poe pointed out, grumpily.

“But they aren’t as pretty.”

“Maybe not, but they sure as hell are warmer.”

She laughed and slipped her hands into his pockets, wrapping her fingers around his. Evelyn rested her body against Poe’s, leaned into him. “I guess it’s a good thing you came out here to keep me warm.”

He chuckled just before brushing his lips across hers in a tender kiss. “Keeping you warm wasn’t the reason I came out here, however, I’m open to the possibility.” Taking their hands out of his pockets, he wrapped her arms around his waist, before letting go and pulling her closer to him.

Evelyn pressed her cheek into his chest. “If you didn’t originally come out here to keep me warm, why did you come out here? You hate the cold.”

Poe sighed, heavily, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Not as much as I hate briefings.”

“Commander, you’re not hiding out here so you can skip a briefing?”

“There’s a good chance that I am, Lieutenant.”

“Well,” she said, looking up at him, “I’m glad you decided to hide. I’m warm, now.”

“Mmmm,” he hummed, before kissing her. “Keeping you warm is so much better than attending any briefing.”

Her eyes searched his for a moment. “Are you okay?”

His lips pulled into a sad smile. “No. I’m not. I will be, eventually.”

Evelyn sunk back into his embrace. Poe pressed a kiss to the top of her head, affectionately, as he tightened his hold on her. He knew he wasn’t okay; no one went through what he’d been through in the last few weeks and came out fine. However, he knew eventually he would be okay—even if it was cold.


	18. Cold, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey has finally made an appearance in verse :)

Kaleb pulled the heavy coat around him. His uncle had often told them how cold it had been on Hoth—just before he regaled the children the story of saving their father’s life. A fond smile pulled at the corners of Kaleb’s mouth as he sauntered through the Resistance’s temporary housing.

It wasn’t very warm in the base; the old heating units were doing the best they could, but Kaleb figured it was better than roaming space. Already, they had been able to reach out to their allies—Poe had already found and rescued Black Squadron—and this old base had some fighters they could fix up. Many wouldn’t consider these victories by any means, but for the wounded Resistance, they were. Fortunately for them, they were not the only ones licking their wounds. Crait had not only decimated the Resistance, it had delivered harsh blows to the First Order as well.

_Hope is a powerful weapon,_ Sela often would tell the children. _It’s hard to kill. _

Entering the nearly empty hanger—only ships currently present were the _Falcon _and the handful of fighters that the Resistance were trying to fix up. BB-8 greeted him. “Where’s your partner in crime?” Kaleb asked the little droid, glancing around the hanger.

BB-8 did not know where Poe was, but he assured Kaleb that any _crime _they may have committed was to help the Resistance. Kaleb chuckled and scratched the droid on top of his head. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to arrest either one of you. My aunt is looking for him.”

“I saw him head outside about fifteen minutes ago,” Rey’s voice carried from underneath the _Falcon. _ She appeared a few seconds later. “He seemed to be in a rush.”

_Poe, in a rush to get outside in the cold? More like in a rush to get away from another briefing,_ Kaleb thought, fondly. _Poe hates the cold. _

Rey shivered, and Kaleb noticed that she was wearing multiple layers of warm coats. Apparently, Poe wasn’t the only one that hated the cold. “I saw Evelyn go out there; he must have been following her.”

Kaleb chuckled. “No, he was trying to avoid another briefing. Evelyn heading out there first was just coincidence.”

“Why is he avoiding a briefing?”

“Poe doesn’t fancy himself a leader. Just a soldier.”

“He led the Resistance out of the mine on Crait…”

“Only because he had too.”

Rey shivered again and sat down near a small space heater. “Well, there isn’t much difference in here as there is outside. It’s freezing!”

Kaleb smiled and sat with her. “I’d like to say you get used to it after a while…”

“But…”

“Seems like we’re never in any place long enough to get used to it…”

Looking away, Rey briefly wondered what it was like to actually miss having a home. Jakku wasn’t home—it was place she had been dumped. Kaleb often spoke of Yavin, growing up there, his childhood memories—how happy they were. “Do you think…when this is all over… you’ll go back to Yavin?”

It wasn’t a question that Kaleb pondered. He didn’t think about the future because, well, he wasn’t sure how much of one he would have. There were a lot of good memories back on Yavin, however, there were a lot of bad ones as well. Kaleb sighed, "Haven't thought about it that much; it is home though, so yeah, I probably will go back to Yavin." 

Rey looked away, sadly. "I don't think I'd go back to Jakku. It...it wasn't very much a home. I don't know... I don't know where I'd go..."

Kaleb gave her a reassuring smile. "Rey, you know you can come with me, Evie, and Poe back to Yavin. You have a home with us. And if that doesn't convince you, remember, Yavin isn't cold."


	19. Reckless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for this to become angsty... it just did :/

** _Yavin, 12 ABY_ **

Kes had only turned his back for two minutes, however it only took his son two minutes to start the land speeder up and take it for a joyride. He caught up to Poe at the edge of his property, following the sounds of children's giggles. 

_Shara, that boy is going to be the death of me_, Kes thought, frustrated. He stormed towards the speeder and reached in, pulling Poe up by the scruff of his collar. "How many times have I told you not to drive the speeder? You're not old enough, Poe!" It was then, while Poe was in his grasp that he noticed a pair of blue eyes looking up at him. "Poe!" He shouted, pulling the boy out of the speeder and dragging him a few feet away. "Are you crazy!"

Poe smiled, charmingly. "I didn't go too fast, Papa. Promise."

Evelyn peered over the edge of the speeder. "It was fun! Can we do it again, Kes?"

"No!" Kes snapped, dropping Poe into the grass. He went back to the speeder and gently lifted Evelyn out, making sure his son's little jaunt had not injured her. _Thank the Force_, he thought when he saw that the little girl was fine, _my son didn't nearly kill Luke's daughter_. Shifting Evelyn into one arm, Kes reached down and grabbed Poe just underneath his shoulder; he proceeded to walk towards the Skywalkers' residence. "Let's go, young man. You're going to apologize to Luke."

"What? Why?" Poe exclaimed. "I didn't go that fast, Papa! And I knew what I was doing! I've watched you drive our speeder before." The little boy tried to break free from his father's hold, but Kes easily scoped him up and tucked him underneath his free arm. "Papa! I didn't hurt anyone! I wouldn't hurt Evie!"

"But you could have hurt yourself!" Kes shouted, suddenly overcome with emotion. He put both the children down and grasped his son tightly in his arms. "I've already lost your mother, I can't lose you too, Poe."

Poe's little shoulders slumped and tears filled his deep brown eyes. "Papa. I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you upset!"

Kes wiped his boy's tears away. "I know." _But you're reckless and fearless and just like your mother... _

Evelyn crawled between them and wrapped her arms around Poe, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, Poe, I didn't know it would make Kes angry if I asked you to take me on a speeder ride." She turned towards Kes, her little bottom lip quivering, slightly. "Kes, don't be angry at Poe. It was my idea."

Somehow, Kes didn't believe her; maybe it was her sweet face, but he was pretty sure his son was the one that cooked up the idea to take the speeder. He reached out and gently ran his thumb over her cheek. "I'm not angry... not anymore. You both understand how dangerous this was, don't you?"

Poe and Evelyn both nodded, promising him that they wouldn't drive the speeder until they were old enough. Kes sighed and pulled both the kids into his arms, holding onto them tightly. Hopefully, this was the last time they did something this crazy and reckless. If only Kes knew the dangers that their future held; if he did, he never would have let them go.


	20. The Kyber Pendant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe gives Evelyn a gift before she leaves to join the Resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a companion/backstory piece for the first chapter of We Belong to the Stars, where the pendant is referenced.

_ **Hosnian Prime, 28 ABY** _

Poe knew that this was going to be the hardest thing he _ever _had to do. Saying good-bye. He stood, rigid, at the edge of the flight deck, watching as the _Mirror Bright _was loaded for her trip. In his hand he clutched the small pouch that contained his gift. Several months ago, while on a twenty-four leave, Poe had found the pendant and immediately thought of her. It had cost him way more credits than he could afford to spend, but he thought it was the perfect gift... if he ever worked up the courage to tell her that he was in love with her.

Now, he was using the pendant as a way to soften the blow that he was not following her to the Resistance. Poe was about to break Evelyn's heart; after today, once she stepped on the _Mirror Bright _and joined her aunt contact between them would have to cease. While many in the Republic respected Leia and her opinions, many did not approve of the fraction breaking away to combat the First Order. There was hardly any solid evidence that the First Order was even a threat. 

"Captain," a deep voice said next to him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I came... I came to say good-bye to Evelyn," Poe replied, glancing at Temmin Wexley.

Temmin's eyes reflected understanding. Rumors had been flying for months now about Poe and Evelyn; he cleared his throat when he saw Evelyn dashing across the flight pad towards Poe. 

Poe was relieved when the older man walked away, giving them some privacy. He caught her in his arms and held onto her tightly. _Oh Evie, I wish things were different. _She was smiling at him, and his heart broke knowing that in a few moments he was about to tear her to pieces. 

Evelyn hugged his waist. "I knew you'd come with us, Kaleb thought I was crazy, but I just knew it, Poe. I knew you wouldn't walk away from us."

Closing his eyes, Poe swallowed, anxiously. "Evie... I...I came to say...to say good-bye."

"Good-bye? What do you mean? You're not... you're not coming with us?"

"Evelyn, I can't. I have a commitment to the Republic."

She leaned in closer to him. "Poe, please," Evelyn pleaded. "We need you. _I _need you."

He stepped back, letting his arms slid from around her. Carefully, Poe took the pendant from the pouch and slipped it around her neck. The gold hue of the crystal brought out the flecks of gold in her blue eyes, and he smiled, sadly. "I thought of you when I saw this and I knew I wanted you to have it. I know... I know it doesn't make up for...for not coming with you... it's just... maybe a little something to remember me by." _I love you. _

Tears slipped down her cheeks. He was walking away, he was leaving her, and she couldn't stop him. Poe was placing his commitment to the Republic before her and she knew, that nothing she said was going to change his mind. Evelyn grasped the pendant in her hand, her eyes begging him to stay, even if it was a lost cause. "Please, Poe... please don't leave me..."

Poe gently pressed a kiss to her cheek, whispering that he was sorry before he turned and walked away, leaving both their hearts completely broken into hundreds, if not thousands of pieces, on the flight pad.


	21. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey seeks out Evelyn to ask her about Sela.

_ **Unknown Regions, 34 ABY** _

"Evelyn, can you...can you tell me about your mother?" Rey asked, softly.

"My mother? She was... kind, courageous... beautiful. Why do you ask?" Evelyn replied, gently, aware of the heaviness in Rey's voice.

Rey took a deep breath, her caramel eyes filling with tears. "I have no memory of my parents, just being left on Jakku with Plutt. I always believed that they left me to keep me safe..."

Evelyn didn't need her to finish; Kaleb had informed her what their cousin had told her, that her parents had sold her into slavery for drinking money. She reached for her hand and held it, tightly. "My mom always told me that she ran from the only family she knew into the one that she had now. My dad, Aunt Leia, Uncle Han... she regarded them as her family. Rey, family isn't something that's bond by blood alone."

"Your mother... she was an Imperial?"

"Yes, she ran away when she was sixteen." 

"And she joined the Rebellion... why?"

The corner of her mouth pulled into a soft smile. Rey recalled overhearing Poe tell Evelyn she was beautiful when she smiled. While it was true that she was beautiful when she smiled... Rey could also see the sadness. Tucking her long hair behind her ear, Evelyn gazed at the floor. "Because, it was the right thing to do. She saw how many people were suffering at the hands of the Empire... she knew the power of the Death Star even before it was used on Alderaan. She thought she could do some good in the galaxy."

Rey swallowed the lump in her throat. "I thought I was doing the right thing, by going after Ben. Instead, I put Kaleb in danger because he came after me; I thought if I could get Ben to come back, that it would help the Resistance. In the end, I think I only made things worse."

Evelyn took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "There's nothing wrong with trying to see the good in people. Snoke, even Ben... used that against you to manipulate you. I know... because they tried it on me."

"They did?"

"Just after Ben turned. I thought I could convince him to come back. I barely escaped..."

She looked at their joined hands, still wondering about her family, but now Rey _didn't _feel so alone. Maybe they weren't a family in the traditional sense, but they were still a _family. _ She had people that cared about her enough to risk capture or death to rescue her, she had people that cared about her well being. To them, she wasn't just another desert womprat, she was an actual person. It was the first time in her life that she actually felt like she was worth something.


	22. Family, Part Two

_ **Yavin IV, 0 ABY** _

She had only been with the Rebellion for a year, and while many were weary the daughter of a Grand Moff, many had taken her under their wing and taken care of her. Sela had not known what to expect when she had fled her home, she knew that her father would be the one to place the order of her execution if she was caught. In his eyes, she was a traitor, and traitors by the Empire’s standards deserved to die.

It wasn’t often that Sela did miss her home; indeed it had been a place of oppression and sadness if you were not born into the right family. Tonight, however, the night of her seventeenth birthday, she felt completely alone. 

“Hey! There you are!” Shara’s voiced echoed through the empty hanger. “We’ve been looking for you to celebrate!”

“Celebrate?” Sela asked, quirking an eyebrow in Shara’s direction.

“Your birthday!”

“My…my birthday? How did you know?”

Shara smiled, brightly. “You’re my best friend, of course I know when your birthday is. Now, come on! Kes managed to find some booze. Let’s go toast!”

Sela wanted to protest, she didn’t really deserve Shara or Kes’ friendship, yet, the young married couple had taken her in. Kes would often tell her that the past didn’t completely define who you were, and since she was still so young, it definitely didn’t define her. He prided himself an excellent judge of character and anyone that had the courage to walk away from the Empire was a good person in his book. 

Kes pulled her into a warm bear hug when Shara burst into their quarters with Sela. “ I heard you were upset and lonely on your birthday because you weren’t with your family. But you are, Sela, the Rebellion is your family!”

“Exactly,” Shara affirmed. “Family isn’t defined by blood. So, you’re _our _family, and this family celebrates birthdays with a toast!”

“Okay,” Sela said with a smile, taking the drink from Kes’ outstretched hand. “Thanks, guys. I don’t feel…I don’t feel so alone anymore with you here.”


	23. Family, Part Three

It was unusually breezy for a summer day on Yavin IV. The weather was making it difficult for Kes to finished up chores around the ranch on his own and some time mid-afternoon, he’d decided to set out and find where Poe had run off too. While Kes was trying to give Poe space, since well, his son had not come home to work, but rather to recoup a bit from the final battle of the war, plus rebuilding a galaxy, he realized he wasn’t going to get all this work done on his own with the winds picking up.

Kes headed towards the garage, where he knew Poe would have disappeared too for the day. Tinkering around working on Shara’s A-wing had always been something that calmed and relaxed his son. He was surprised when he found the garage empty, with the exception of his son’s droid, BB-8. 

BB-8 beeped a welcome to Kes as he happily rolled around, making repairs to Poe’s orange X-wing. Kes’ furrowed his brow. “Where did Poe run off too?” he asked the astromech, who informed him that Poe had gone back to the house with Evelyn about an hour ago. 

“Thanks,” he mumbled to the droid as he headed off in the direction that BB-8 sent him. _Figures, Poe would make it difficult to find him when I need him to do some heavy lifting around here. _Kes also wasn’t surprised when he found his son sitting on the porch swing, it rocking in the breeze. He was, however, surprised to find that Poe and Evelyn were both sound asleep.

Kes supposed that they had yet to get a decent night’s sleep since the war’s end four months ago.

Evelyn was curled up against Poe’s side, her head resting against his chest; one of his son’s arms was lazily wrapped around her, the other softly laid across her abdomen, his hand stretched out over the ever growing swell in her stomach. 

“Can you believe it Shara?” Kes murmured, smiling softly, “Our son, going to be a papa himself.” His smile grew when the wind rustled the bushes around the Damerons’ ranch, as if Shara herself was answering him. He sighed, and turned to go, deciding to leave Poe and Evelyn to their nap...

“Papa?” Poe sleepily called out to him. Kes turned back towards the porch to see his son’s eyes half-open, looking at him with some concern. “Is everything alright?”

Kes smiled, watching as Poe subconsciously rubbed Evelyn’s stomach. He could see the big grin on his son’s face when he told him the news, the happiness in his eyes... it made it difficult for Kes to be angry that his son had married the girl without even telling him. “Everything is fine,” he said, reassuring Poe. His son was safe, Evelyn was safe and his unborn grandchild was safe. His _family _was safe.

Poe sat up, gently placing a kiss on his wife’s forehead. He slowly got off the porch swing, making sure that Evelyn was comfortable before stretching himself. “Are you done work for the day?”

His father shook his head. “Too windy to finish up; feels like storms are probably going to move in later, so it’s best I get out of the orchards. Help me make dinner? I want to talk to you.”

“Am I in trouble?” Poe asked, deep brown eyes worried.

“No,” Kes said with a chuckle. 

“Are you still mad that I didn’t tell you that Evelyn and I got married? Because, Papa, it was such a spur of the moment thing...”

“Poe, shut up for a second. I’m not angry that you got married, hell if anyone knows about marriage during war, it’s me. I just want to talk... it’s been so long... and who knows how long you’ll be home before the Republic whisks you away again, _General.”_

Quietly, Poe followed his father into the house. The younger man had taken a lot of comfort seeing his childhood home, untouched, the way he remembered it, after the Battle of Exegol. He was still recovering from all the loss; Leia, Snap... Finn spoke about feeling Rey die... no one had told him yet what that was all about. In fact, whatever happened down in the citadel was not a topic one breached with Evelyn, Kaleb, and Rey. "I'm not due back for another three weeks. Seems like everyone thinks I need some time to recover."

Kes washed his hands, drying them on his pants when he couldn't find a towel. "Time to recover, time to spend with your wife. Don't take anything for granted, Poe. Enjoy these little moments because before you know it, your child is grown up and charging recklessly into danger."

Poe sighed, heavily. "You always said I had too much of Mama in me. I wish... I wish she was here now," he said, his voice heavy with sadness. "She... she would have been so excited about the baby."

"You probably don't remember this, but your mother and Sela were planning your wedding to Evelyn when you were seven," Kes said with a fond chuckle. 

"Seriously?" Poe quipped, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Oh yeah. I caught them several times, sitting out on the porch, talking about the type of dress Evie would wear... if you'd get married here on Yavin or go for a bigger celebration in the capital. I think it helped your mother to talk about your future once she got sick..."

"I'm sure her future for me didn't include fighting a war. Neither of them probably pictured that my wedding would happen on a military base in the middle of another galactic war or that it would nearly end tragically."

Kes reached out then and pulled his son into his arms. He cupped the back of Poe's head; Kes could only imagine what his son had been feeling before help arrived. "It didn't though and now you have the opportunity to raise your son or daughter in a free galaxy."

Poe sighed against his father's shoulder. It was going to take a lot of hard work to keep the galaxy free, to not repeat the mistakes that were made after the fall of the Empire. When Evelyn had told him she was pregnant, he'd vowed then and there that he was going to do whatever it took so his child wouldn't have to fight. He didn't want his child to be haunted at night by the horrors of war, the loss of close friends...

Evelyn's excited voice caused father and son to move away from each other. She was standing in the living room, her hands holding onto her belly. "The baby is kicking!" she exclaimed, reaching for Poe's hand. She placed it on her stomach just as the baby moved once again. "See! Isn't it amazing!"

"Yes," Poe whispered, his face lighting up in a big grin. He pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss, the baby still moving underneath his hand. "It is amazing."

"I didn't think it would make me so happy to feel it," she said, tears in her eyes, "but it has."

"Me too," he confessed, wiping the happy tears from her cheeks before gathering her into his arms. "Me too."

Kes watched them with so much love in his heart; _this _is what he'd wanted for Poe when he'd fought in the war. It took them longer to achieve it, and it was the children of the rebels that had done so, but now... his family could live in peace.


	24. Future

_ **Endor, 5 ABY** _

They stood on the edge of the celebrations, watching fireworks and x-wings burst through the starry skies of Endor. Sela still couldn’t quite believe that they had won, but Luke’s hand in her own, his warmth reminded her that they had.

If they had lost, Luke would not be standing with her right now. He’d either be dead, or worse yet, the Emperor’s new apprentice.

She allowed her free hand to cradle the slight swell in her stomach. After landing her a-wing on Endor immediately Shara had taken her to see the medical droids. Her baby was fine. _Their _son was fine. “Luke,” she whispered, hoping that he could hear her over the fireworks and star fighters, the singing and the dancing.

He looked at her, the bonfire flickering in his blue eyes. Luke could see her other hand rubbing her tummy. “Is something wrong with the baby? I really wish you had sat this battle out, Sela...”

“Our son is fine,” Sela replied. “I just... we never talked about names before.”

“Names?” Luke repeated.

“It wasn’t a priority, I suppose. I mean, we did have a galaxy to save.”

“Do you have a name in mind?”

Sela looked up towards the stars. “Kaleb. It means _brave. _In some dialects, it means _faithful.”_

Luke smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. “Kaleb,” he affirmed, “I like it. Its meaning reminds me of his mom. She's one of the bravest people I know.”

She turned towards him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him closely. He was being quiet about what happened to him on the Death Star, and truthfully, Sela didn’t want to know. “Can you... can you feel our son?”

He took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. “Yes. He’s strong and healthy. I suspect that he’s going to do some great things in his life. He’s the future of the galaxy, the future of the Jedi.”

“Our son is more than that, Luke,” Sela said.

“Oh? What do you mean by that?” Luke asked.

Closing her eyes, she pictured a home with Luke and their son, a smiling little boy that had his father’s hair and eyes. “He’s _our _future, Luke, the one we fought so hard for. He’s our future and the Empire can no longer take it away from us.”

Smiling, Luke kissed his wife. Yes, their son was their future, and their son would grow up knowing how much the Rebellion had meant to his parents, to the galaxy--he would grow up being taught the failures of the Jedi, the failures of Anakin Skywalker, so they would not be repeated. Luke knew that there was still a lot of work to be done, but he would have his family and his friends at his side. 

For them, the future felt bright.


	25. Future, Part Two

** _34 ABY_ **

Since Crait, quiet moments were rare.

As Leia’s health clearly began to decline--something she was adamantly denying--Poe had been given more and more responsibility within the Resistance. And with more responsibility came less personal time, not that he had a lot to begin with, but when one was rebuilding a rebellion from the ground up, one had even less personal time.

Which is why Poe was savoring this moment, both of them crammed into the cockpit of his newly acquired x-wing, arms wrapped around each other, with the canopy popped open so they could see the stars. Poe gently allowed his fingers to stroke her hair, his lips brushing soft kisses on her temple, her cheek... he wanted to stay in this moment forever...

Evelyn sleepily traced the creases in his black shirt. She had just returned from a mission with Rey and it had been three weeks since they’d actually seen one another face to face. “Poe,” she mumbled, breaking the peaceful silence. “Do you ever think about... _after _the war?” 

Poe closed his eyes, nuzzling her with his nose. “Yeah... I think about it more than I probably should.” He took a deep breath. “Especially when I’m losing all hope that we aren’t going to win this thing because it gives me the hope I need to keep going.”

“What do you think about...when you think about life after the war?” she asked, blue eyes turning up towards him and searching his face.

“Home,” he answered, opening his eyes and smiling at her, softly. “My dad yelling at me to stop messing around with his farm equipment, us going for walks in the jungle with BeeBee...maybe we have a kid or two...”

“That sounds... that sounds _perfect. _I just hope we get there someday.”

“We will, sweetheart, because that perfect future is something worth fighting for, worth winning the war for.”

She smiled at him. He loved her smile and he yearned for the day that there was no war, where he woke up to that smile _every _morning. Gently, Poe kissed her, hearing her sigh, softly, at the contact of his lips with hers. 

He deepened the kiss, one of his hands tangling in her hair. Evelyn melted against him and her hand slipped underneath his shirt, playing with the necklace around his neck... and then his commlink went off, summoning him to the command center.

Poe sighed, his forehead resting against hers. The war was still being fought and until it was over, their perfect little future was going to have to be put on hold.

Evelyn brushed her nose against his and gently reminded him that their perfect future was something worth fighting for; it was something worth getting out of that x-wing and going to win the war for. Maybe it wouldn’t happen today, or tomorrow, but eventually they would be given the future that right now in the present they could only dream about.


	26. Future, Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shara asks Kes to make a promise.

** _Yavin, 10 ABY_ **

“Kes? What do you think his future holds?”

Pausing, Kes glanced at his wife. He had been helping her back into bed, concentrating on that and unaware that their son was playing outside in the yard in Shara’s view. It wasn’t until he heard children’s laughter that Kes realized what she had been asking. “A lot of adventure,” he said with a chuckle, watching as Poe laughed chasing Kaleb and Evelyn around the yard. 

Shara sighed, sadly. “I’m being serious, Kes. What do you think his future holds? We both know I will not be around to see it. This damn disease is going to win eventually. My body won’t be able to fight anymore.”

Kes felt his chest tighten. When the doctors had told them Shara only had a few months to live, he’d told himself she was going to find a way to beat the odds and live a long, happy life. As the life was sucked, slowly, from his beloved wife, Kes knew Shara wasn’t long for this galaxy. “Whatever his future holds, you can bet it will have _something _to do with flying.”

“I just want him to be happy,” she cried.

“He will be, love,” he assured her. 

“Kes,” she said, as she started to fall asleep, “promise me, he’ll fly.”

Glancing outside to watch their son play, Kes swallowed, anxiously. He knew how important it was to Shara--to Poe--that their little boy learn how to fly. 

Shara grabbed his hand, gripping it as tightly as a sick woman could. “Kes, please, promise me.”

Kes held his tears back and smiled at her. With a slight nod of his head, he promised her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait, this has been sitting in my drafts for a while!


	27. You're Joking, Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just need to write something a bit more silly and fluffy...

** _Hosnian Prime, 28 ABY_ **

Kaleb had not meant to interrupt Poe’s date--it just so happened that while out with his friends, they’d shown up at the same nightclub. Poe had been rather...secretive... about where he was taking his date that night. Which, was odd, Kaleb realized as he stepped up to the bar to order a drink. Poe was _always _talking about his dates. 

Leaning against the sleek, steal bartop, Kaleb looked around. The place was dimly light with blue neon lights, packed with young professionals and military officers. Music pumped loudly through speakers at either end of the jammed dance floor. It was hard to distinguish one being to the next. 

At first, Kaleb wasn't even aware that Poe was at the same club, until one of his friends punched him lightly in the arm and said, “Hey... you okay with Dameron kissing your sister like that?”

“What are you talking about?” Kaleb quipped, snapping his head about. 

His friend gestured to a booth, sure enough there was Poe--making out with Evelyn. She got up from the table, pulling him towards the dance floor with the other swaying bodies, and then they were pressed so close together not even a thread could fit between them....

Downing his drink, Kaleb pushed off the bar, grumbling. “Oh, hell no.” _He didn’t tell me his date was with my sister! I’m gonna kill him! _Weaving his way through the tightly packed dance floor, Kaleb finally got close to Poe and Evelyn, and shouted, “Dameron! Get your hands off of my sister!”

Poe stepped back, startled, and like he’d been shot. Brown eyes darted between Kaleb and Evelyn--his first instinct was to run. He ducked around annoyed couples and bolted.

“Hey! Get your ass back here!” Kaleb yelled, chasing after him. 

They had made it all the way out to the back alley of the club when Kaleb tackled Poe to the ground. The pilot managed to wiggle out from underneath him and stood up, holding his hands in front of me. “Let me explain!”

Kaleb balled his fists up and jumped to his feet. “Explain! You had your tongue down Evie’s throat! I can’t believe you were kissing my sister! That’s... there’s a code about that you know!”

Poe swallowed, anxiously. “I know...I know... that’s why we wanted to wait a while to tell you.”

“Wait a while? How long has this being going on?” Kaleb shouted.

“Umm... remember when I was home two months ago?” Poe countered. “About that long...”

“Two months! I’m going to kill you!” 

“Wait! Wait... come on, Kaleb... just... listen to me...”

Kaleb glared and snarled at him; Poe yelped and dashed away again. This time, Kaleb wasn’t able to follow. Evelyn had reached out with the Force and held her brother in place. “You two are so immature,” she said, as Poe finally managed to escape from Kaleb--at least for the time being.


	28. Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of You're Joking, Right? I just needed some more fluff...

Poe almost wished a crisis had popped up and he’d have excuse to get out of having dinner with the Solos and Skywalkers, but one never turned down an invitation from Leia--even if her nephew had threatened to kill you the night before because you were secretly dating his sister. By now it was safe to assume that Kaleb had told his family and if he had not, well, Poe didn’t see himself getting out of this evening _without _everyone knowing.

Leia greeting him at the door with a kind smile didn’t set his mind at ease. The senator was the least of his concerns when it came to his relationship with Evelyn--her uncle topped the list, followed by her brother. He cautiously entered the Solos’ residence, deep brown eyes immediately drawn to Evelyn seated on the sofa next to her mother. She was wearing a modest navy blue dress, a far contrast to the slinky black top and tight pants she had worn on their date to the club the night before. Smiling at him, anxiously, Evelyn quickly adverted her eyes, which signaled that she was just as nervous as he was. 

It was during this silent exchange that Sela got to her feet and pulled Poe in for a hug. When she pulled away, she smiled at him, affectionately, and fussed over his uniform. Poe couldn’t help but wonder if his mother would have done the same thing if she was still alive. Ever since Shara’s passing when he was eight, Sela had tried her best to fill the gaps left behind. Poe knew she would never replace his mother, but he appreciated her care--more so now that he was an adult. 

“Sit down,” Sela instructed him, squeezing him in on the sofa between her and Evelyn. “Tell us what you’ve been up too. Your father sends his love--he wanted to be here but it is the middle of harvest.”

“Uh, the Navy’s been keeping me busy,” Poe said, feeling Evelyn’s fingers brush against his leg. He shifted, nervously, somehow resisting the urge to grab her hand and hold it. “Please tell me my dad hired some help this year... he almost threw his back out last harvest.”

“You know Kes,” Sela replied with a light chuckle. “Stubborn man.”

“Yeah,” Poe sighed, “that’s what I was afraid of.”

Sela placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She stood and offered to go get him a drink, leaving him sitting on the sofa alone with Evelyn. Poe was pretty sure Sela had set this up because he saw the little glance over shoulder as she walked and the slight smile on her face.

Poe waited until she was gone before speaking again. “Do they know?” he asked, quietly, eyes darting about the living room looking for the rest of her family. 

Evelyn shook her head. “No... I don’t think Kaleb said anything to them... but... well... Aunt Leia and Mama have been acting funny all evening--they wanted me to wear this dress because it brings out my eyes--and then they were joking but old times and how they loved a man in a uniform, all the while glancing at me with the biggest smiles on their faces.”

“So either they know or--they’re setting us up.”

“That sounds about right.”

As he was reaching for her hand, Kaleb came into the room, followed by Ben--and immediately the atmosphere changed. It was obvious that Kaleb was still angry at him from the night before. Poe pulled his hand back, very much aware of the glare that Kaleb shot him as he snapped,“Nice to see you could join us, _Captain.”_

Ben looked at Poe and Evelyn for a moment, confused. Kaleb never called Poe by rank--never. He didn’t have as close a relationship with Poe as his cousins, and even Ben didn’t call him by rank. Something was going on, especially with the way that Poe fumbled over his words, explaining that he and Evelyn were just talking. There had been rumors around the Temple that perhaps Poe and Evelyn were more than friends... that would explain Kaleb’s attitude towards the captain. Ben smiled, slightly. “So... rumors are true.”

Kaleb clenched his jaw as both Poe and Evelyn visibly stiffened. “Oh, rumors are true, Ben. I caught them at the club last night, with his tongue down her throat.” 

“Really?” Ben inquired, eyebrows shooting up in amusement. “Do your parents know? Better yet... does my dad know?”

“Do I know what?” Han questioned, entering the living room with a tray of refreshments that no doubt Leia had sent him along with. He set the tray down and took in the scene. He gestured between Poe and Evelyn, and snarked, “Do I know that these two are more than friends--yeah... I’ve known for a few weeks. You probably should have told your dad that you _didn’t_ want us to know, Dameron. By the way...we’re gonna talk later... you and I. If you’re going to date my niece... there’s going to be some rules, flyboy.”

Poe felt all color draining from his face. He didn’t fear Sela or Luke or even Kaleb really--but Han Solo--Poe knew that there was going to be hell to pay for dating his niece if he broke the rules. “Y-yes, sir.”

Han gave him a soft smile. “Good. You’re off to the right start, Dameron--let’s get the first rule out of the way--you’re _much too close.”_

Instantly, Poe slid away from Evelyn on the sofa. Han sat down across from him and continued to smile. Poe nervously glanced at Evelyn--why did he get the impression that Han was going to chaperone their next date? He definitely would _not _be able to kiss her if that was the case.

“Uncle Han we’re not even holding hands,” Evelyn protested.

“Good. Keep it that way. I heard about last night,” Han snapped at her. “You did a little more than hand holding according to your brother.”

“Evie..it’s okay,” Poe assured her, wanting to calm the tempest that was Han Solo. “Really, it’s fine.”

“No! No, it’s not fine!” Evelyn argued with him, turning to face him. “I’m twenty-one and they’re treating me like I’m fifteen and going on my very first date! This is ridiculous! They don’t have any say in our relationship, Poe.”

Poe shrunk back against the sofa, watching the scowl that formed on Han’s face. He had a couple of options here, he figured--one, agree with her and risk bodily harm--or two, just silently sit there. He chose to silently sit there. 

Han regarded them closely for a moment, and then eyes narrowed in on Poe, said, “Time for rule number 2, flyboy, since the two of you are insisting on this relationship-- you break her heart--you answer to me. Clear?”

Even though he knew Evelyn was angry, Poe nodded. Han smiled, satisfied with himself, and throughout the rest of the evening, the former smuggler proceeded to issue his _rules _for dating his only niece, to which Poe humbly agreed to follow.


	29. Good Luck Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Star Wars Day! This piece could be considered a companion piece to Shara's Ring and The Kyber Pendant. You don't need to read those to follow along with this one, though :)

This was it; this was their last chance.

Evelyn secured the holocron into the navigational system of the _Mirror Bright. _In just a few short minutes the coordinates for Exegol would be downloaded and they could start the perilous journey to the Sith planet. The odds, as Threepio so astutely pointed out to them--were not in their favor.

It didn’t matter--they had to at least try. _We’re not alone, _Poe had told them, _good people will fight if we lead them. _

Finalizing the download of the coordinates to the navigational system, Evelyn straightened her petite frame and stared down at the holocron. Rey had tried to go off on her own just a few hours before, Kaleb and Evelyn had stopped her--this wasn’t just _her _fight. Lando had said, they beat the Empire because they had each other--they were going to Exegol _together. _

“So, this is it,” Poe whispered, behind her. “Our last chance.”

“As long as we have each other,” Evelyn replied, facing him, “we can win.”

Poe took a step closer to her, he took her hand in his and turned it over. Gently, he pressed something into her palm. “Take it,” he said, softly as her eyes widened seeing his mother’s ring. “It’s kept me safe all these years... now it will keep you safe. My little good luck charm is what my father has called it.”

Evelyn shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes. “Poe, I... it’s _your _lucky charm... I can’t take it. Shara should be with _you, _not me.”

He smiled, sadly. “Don’t worry, Evie, she will be. She’s always with me--I believe you were the one that told me that no one is ever really gone. I have faith that my mom will be with me when I lead that assault against the Final Order’s fleet.”

She looked at the band of metal in her hand, hanging off the edge of a chain. It never left Poe’s neck, flying into every battle and mission since Jakku. Closing her fingers around the ring, she reached up, underneath the collar of her jacket and pulled her kyber pendant from around her neck. Holding it out, she looked at Poe, with pleading in her eyes. “Take it. It kept me safe all these years...now...now it can keep you safe.” 

Glowing between them, Poe reached out and took the kyber pendant. He then pulled Evelyn into his arms, holding onto her tightly. There had always been a sense of security for both of them when they were in each other’s arms, but the moment could only last for so long. Poe let go, stepping back and a wave of uncertainty rushed over him. 

“You’re not going to kiss me?” 

“Come back to me and I will kiss you everyday for the rest of our lives.”

Silent tears tracked down her cheeks. Evelyn didn’t know for certain if either one of them would make it back; this could be the last time they saw each other and her heart broke. “I love you.” 

His deep brown eyes glistened, a broken smile crossed his face. Poe couldn’t linger much longer--they had to get moving as time was not their friend, but he took one more second to gaze her, etching every feature of hers into his memory. “I know.” 

Evelyn watched him go, the ring still in her hand. Just five minutes later, the ring was hanging around her neck--the kyber pendant around Poe’s--as the _Mirror Bright _took off, leading the Resistance to their final stand.


	30. Kaleb and the Tree

“You’re going to fall,” Poe argued, hands on his hips. “You can’t use the Force to fly, Kaleb! You can barely lift a rock using it!”

“Sure I can use it to fly!” Kaleb argued back, climbing higher up the limbs of the massai tree. “Just watch me, Poe!”

Poe rolled his eyes and looked down at Evelyn, who was sitting at the base of tree picking the little wildflowers growing around it. She was completely uninterested in what her brother and Poe were up too. He wasn’t even sure she knew that her brother had climbed about a meter off the ground. 

Kaleb was shouting from above them. Poe looked up to see that he was standing on the branch, inching out towards the edge. Instantly, he felt anxious flutters in his stomach. _He shouldn’t be doing this! _“Evie! Poe! Watch me!” Kaleb yelled at his best friend and little sister. “I’m going to fly!”

Evelyn glanced up from her flower picking to see her brother on the very edge of the branch. Her little brow furrowed and she looked at Poe. “What is he doing?”

“He think he can use the Force to fly,” Poe mumbled, nervously.

“No he can’t!” Evelyn cried, jumping to her feet.

“Yes I can!” Kaleb shouted down to them. “Now watch me!”

Poe and Evelyn did watch; they watched as Kaleb stepped off the branch, arms spread wide, eyes closed--they watched as he cascaded straight to the jungle floor below him. All three children let out a scream at the same exact moment, as Kaleb crashed into brush underneath the tree that Evelyn had just been picking flowers in. 

Kaleb didn’t move; Poe wondered if he was dead and then the younger boy started to cry. Evelyn and Poe sprinted to Kaleb’s side, seeing that his right leg was twisted up in the roots and most definitely broken. There was also a lot of cuts and gashes on his arms and legs--a few on his face. 

Evelyn was crying, large tears rolling down her face. “Is...is he going to die, Poe?” She looked at the older boy, terrified. 

He shook his head and got to his feet, realizing that he needed to take action. “Evie, stay with him,” Poe instructed the frightened little girl, “I’m gonna go get my dad. Just stay there! I’ll be right back!” And he took off running, as fast as he could through the jungle. 

* * *

“Should be all set, Kes,” Amir, the local mechanic said, smiling. “Looks like Poe got some of his toys stuck up in the engine.”

“Kriff, that boy is going to be the end of me,” Kes said with a shake of his head. “At least no one was hurt when the damn thing began to malfunction and parts were flying everywhere. I’ll talk to him and let him know that his toys do not belong in the picker.” 

Amir wiped his hands on a cloth and looked around the Dameron’s ranch. “Where is the little scoundrel?”

Kes gestured towards the jungle. “Went off to play with Kaleb and Evelyn about an hour ago. I assume right now they’ve already freed the galaxy from the Emperor and blown up the Death Star.”

“In my day I was a pod racer,” Amir said with a chuckle. “Times have changed.”

“Indeed they have,” Kes supplied. 

“Papa! Papa, help!” Poe screamed, bursting through the ferns and onto the ranch. “Kaleb’s hurt!”

Kes furrowed his brow in concern and went to his son, kneeling down before him. He could see the frightened look in Poe’s big brown eyes. “What do you mean he’s hurt? You boys are always coming back with scraps and bruises.”

Poe took a deep breath and gestured wildly behind him at the jungle. “I told him he couldn’t use the Force to fly, Papa! He wouldn’t listen! He... just fell! And now he’s bleeding and his leg is all busted up!”

“Fell?”

“From the tree!”

Quickly, Kes scooped his son up into his arms. Amir said he’d go find Luke or Sela, and Kes went crashing back through the jungle, letting Poe instruct him in the direction that they were playing in. He found Evelyn sitting at the base of a massai tree, next to her brother. Kaleb was pale and moaning in pain. _Kriff, _Kes thought as he put Poe down. 

Poe stood back while his father looked after Kaleb. Kes lifted Evelyn out of the way and shooed her towards Poe. He held her hand tightly while his father made a splint out of some sticks for Kaleb’s leg, calling upon his basic training--it wasn’t the first splint that Kes had ever fashioned, but it was the first one he’d done on a child. 

Kes had just finished the splint when Luke and Sela joined them. Now, with all three adults crowding around Kaleb, Poe and Evelyn couldn’t see what was going on. The adults kept their voices down and didn’t say a word to them as Luke carried Kaleb away, Sela following. It wasn’t until they were gone that Kes turned towards Poe and Evelyn, huddled together in fear, and placed a hand on each their small heads. “Evie’s going to stay with us tonight.”

“Is Kaleb going to be okay?” Poe asked, nervously.

“He’ll be fine,” Kes replied, gathering Evelyn up into his arms. “Luke and Sela are going to take him to a medcenter on Hosnian Prime, have his leg looked at. Now, come on, let’s get home and I’ll make us some dinner. How about some veggie soup? We’ve all had a long day.”

“Papa, I’m sorry,” Poe mumbled as they walked.

“Sorry? What for, son?”

“For letting Kaleb jump out of the tree like that.”

Kes stopped and turned to look down at his son. “Poe. This was not your fault; you told Kaleb that he shouldn’t jump from the tree--you also ran to get help when you realized Kaleb needed it.”

Poe wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. “But I’m older! I’m supposed to be looking out for Kaleb and Evie!”

Evie sniffled and rested her head against Kes’ shoulder. “Ben told Kaleb he could use the Force to fly. I wanted to tell Daddy, but Kaleb told me to keep my mouth shut.”

_Death of me--of all us--these children are going to be, _Kes thought, closing his eyes. He pressed a soft kiss to Evelyn’s cheek and then encouraging Poe to walk with them, they headed back towards the ranch. “You know,” he said, “I think we’ve all learned an important lesson.”

“Don’t listen to Ben?” Poe quipped, causing his father to chuckle.

“No, not what I had in mind,” Kes said, “We learned that _none _of us can fly using the Force.”


End file.
